Hollow
by pain17ification
Summary: After Neliel was defeated, she gets booted through an experimental, unstable Garganta. She arrives in the Elemental Nations as Nel, where she is found by the Orange Knucklehead of the Hidden Leaf. However, Naruto has his own secrets that nobody from the village knows. What will happen when the line between the Living World and Spiritual World starts to blur? Naruto/Neliel story
1. Chapter 1: Their First Meetings

**Hello everyone from FanFiction and beyond!**

 **Here's a** _ **Naruto**_ **and** _ **Bleach**_ **crossover that I've been considering since my recent trip to the Crunchyroll Expo!**

 **By the way, that anime expo was awesome! It was my first time ever going to something like that, and I had a blast! I even tagged the communal whiteboard with my penname! So awesome!**

 **Anyway, on with the story!**

 **I own nothing**

* * *

 _Hollow_

 _Chapter 1: Their First Meetings_

* * *

A blonde teen gazed at the rundown building that had belonged to his ancestors when they had allied with the Hidden Leaf. It carried an artifact of great power, one that was meant to be guarded for as long as time stood. It was both fortunate and unfortunate that this place had fallen so far under everyone's radar that it was unheard of for many years.

If he had to guess, maybe a handful of people knew about this location besides himself; most of those people being dead anyway. Not that death could truly stop someone. He knew that firsthand the moment he discovered this place as a boy.

 _"Back again, child?"_ a gentle voice spoke, prompting him to turn his blue eyes over to the speaker.

She was a woman of noble beauty and grace that had red hair styled into twin buns atop her head. Her eyes were pupiless and shaded a dark violet, and her kimono looked to be of the finest quality. Acting as earrings were a pair of sealing tags while the insignia of the Uzumaki Clan rested on the back and heart of her clothes.

Finishing off her look was her form being visibly transparent and a thick chain that tethered her form to that of the rundown building.

This was Mito Uzumaki, a deceased member of the Uzumaki Clan whose spirit had refused to leave the mortal plane out of an impeccable sense of duty to her people. She once held the greatest of the Bijuu within her; the Kyuubi. She was the first to act as the beast's prison while the young man before her was currently the third.

A soft smile graced the blonde's face at her question. He never understood how he was able to see those who had died, but he didn't question it. In his eyes, speaking with the dearly departed helped stave off the bitter loneliness he suffered for most of his life.

Mito being a member of his family only further pushed back those lonely thoughts.

"I just wanted to say goodbye before I left with Pervy Sage on our training trip. I don't know how long we'll be gone, so…"

Mito gave him a warm smile as he trailed off, already used to seeing him act this way around her. It saddened her just how much hatred had taken a role in her younger clansmen's life, especially when she knew that Love was the key to holding back the influence of the beast he carried; she knew this better than anyone.

 _"I see. Well, be sure to continue your fūinjutsu studies, dear child. I would hate for you to come back without something new to present to me; especially when you've been such a wonderful student over the years."_

He rubbed the back of his head bashfully, his closed eyes missing her brows furrow briefly. "I promise," he replied.

When he opened his eyes again, he gave her a sad smile and moved in to embrace her, catching her slightly by surprise since he had never done that before. What was more surprising was how she could actually feel him, and she could tell that the experience went both ways.

"I'm gonna miss you, ttebayo…"

She chuckled softly as she returned his embrace. _"Kushina-chan will throw a fit if she ever finds out you inherited her little tic."_

"I'm just glad that I have another thing to remind me of her," he mused, stepping away from the hug while a hand rested on the scarf neatly wrapped over his shoulders.

Konohamaru had found it for Naruto after Tsunade had given the boy his grandfather's belongings he had left in the Hokage Office prior to his death. Along with said scarf was an envelope addressed to the blonde, which held a photo of two people; his parents.

It was such an emotional blow that he had stayed with Mito's spirit for a week before he returned to the village, no one knowing where he was due to the ignorance of the Uzumaki Mask Shrine. Mito was an emotional pillar for him, as well as a mentor who guided him through the methods of the infamous Uzumaki fūinjutsu.

Before he grew close to Tsunade – who Mito revealed to him was her granddaughter – Mito had begun to fill the void that had been placed in his heart the day he realized he had no parents.

 _"She did a fine job with that,"_ Mito praised, fixing the loose knot that Naruto had tied to keep the scarf in place. _"Be sure to take good care of it, Naruto."_

"I will." He gave the spirit one last embrace before he headed back to the village to meet Jiraiya at the gates. "I'll be back stronger than ever, Mito-baa-chan! Count on it!"

When he was no longer in sight, she whispered aloud, _"I know you will, child…"_

* * *

"I suppose that you might consider this another form of _bestial act_ ," a very tall and light-skinned man asked as he held up an unconscious and bleeding woman by the front of her clothes. "Maybe it is, Neliel," he continued, "but at least it finally took care of you and your annoying ideals."

A bit away from him was a pink-haired man with amber eyes, messing with a small device in his hands. "Are you finished, Nnoitra-san? The woman is defeated, and your posturing is bordering on foolish."

The Eighth Espada of Hueco Mundo sneered at the scientific Arrancar. "I'd watch your tone, Szayelaporro, considering how you're not even being suggested for an Espada seat. Just finish setting up that damn thing and let's get this over with." His sneer was aimed at the unconscious woman once more. "I'm already sick of looking at this trash."

Szayelaporro sniffed dismissively as he finished the final touches on his device. "It's ready," he announced, gathering some of his reiatsu and pouring it into the device.

Lazily, he tossed it in front of himself and observed as a Garganta was formed; though this one didn't look even half as stable as a standard one.

"Hurry and toss her through," the scientist sniped, clipping a bracelet around Neliel's left wrist. "That should allow me to record what happens with this experimental Garganta. I must know if we're only connected to the Land of the Living and the Seireitei…"

"Don't presume to order me around," Nnoitra snarled out as he dropped Neliel carelessly onto the ground before brutally kicking her in her stomach and through the Garganta.

Right as she was passing through, a flash of pink light blinded the two Arrancar for a moment. When it cleared, they saw a young child that resembled Neliel get swallowed by the Garganta before the whole thing collapsed on itself. The moment made Nnoitra smile maliciously as he turned away and started heading back to Las Noches followed by Szayelaporro.

Unknown to them, Neliel's Fracción had crawled back to where their leader had been defeated. All they saw was a splash of blood that they knew belonged to her and some strands of her beautiful turquoise hair.

"What now, Pesche?" the larger of the two asked. "Neliel-sama is gone, don'tcha know…"

Pesche grit his teeth and clenched his fists in shame for not being able to protect their leader from harm and possible death. "Nnoitra and Szayelaporro…" he ground out, his self-shame feeding his growing rage. "We'll be back to avenge Neliel-sama's cruel defeat at your hands. I swear it!" Getting to his feet with a hiss of agony, he turned away from the sight of Neliel's blood and stated, "Let's go, Dondochakka. We need to make ourselves scarce in case one of them comes back."

The larger one gave a sad sigh at his friend's words, reaching down to gingerly grab the strands of hair before he too stood up painfully. He took a moment to weave the strands into two small rings before handing one to Pesche. The two put them on their dominant hands before they staggered away from Las Noches towards the seemingly endless desert that was Hueco Mundo.

They would use the following years to become stronger than ever before, all in the name of avenging their closest friend and leader.

* * *

"Stupid pervert," grumbled a sixteen-year-old Naruto as he looked over a sealing formula he had been designing for the past two weeks. "I told him I wasn't ready for that much of the fox's chakra…"

He was in the last quarter of the second year of his training trip, a month passed his birthday. So far, the trip itself had been very underwhelming for the blonde Uzumaki who was expecting to learn most of the tricks and skills that the Toad Sage was capable of using.

That wasn't the case.

Instead, the first year was devoted solely to mastering basics that should've been gone over by Kakashi; his official teacher since he had been assigned to Team 7. His taijutsu had been smoothed out so that he didn't fight like some common brawler, his chakra control exercises had increased in difficulty, and he had finally learned how to dispel genjutsu.

It bothered him that it took an entire year to fix those concerns when Kakashi should've noticed them much sooner. No doubt he helped Sasuke figure out _his_ own issues while he was teaching the Uchiha that damnable Chidori. He was going to hold onto that grudge for a while, considering how he had suffered being run through by that jutsu _twice_ during his fight with Sasuke.

The second year had Naruto practice with his Rasengan while also trying to develop one that was larger; thereby giving it more power. While he had improved greatly in his chakra control, he couldn't make the larger Rasengan without the assistance of a clone. Thankfully, though, he was finally able to use a standard Rasengan one-handed.

It was halfway through the second year that Jiraiya decided to start the _real_ training. To Naruto's dismay, the Toad Sage felt that the best training Naruto could do was practice using the Kyuubi chakra; which he honestly hated to use.

Sure, the power boost was phenomenal; but the aftermath of the chakra was not a fair trade in his eyes. His body was left weak, and his chakra coils would practically rage with pain due to the corrosive chakra being pumped through them. Being the Jinchūriki of the chakra helped, but only by so much.

And then, around one week ago, Jiraiya had the brilliant idea of loosening the seal so that _more_ of that twisted chakra could be accessed. The result was Naruto quickly losing control and shifting into a Four-Tailed state, going into a berserker rage that could've wrecked the town just a couple miles away from their position.

Luckily, Jiraiya had some Suppression Seals on hand; something Naruto immediately started working on as soon as he recovered from the strain of the Bijuu chakra. He had just finished making a successful one the other day, which allowed him to resume his theoretical seal.

Currently, he was seated atop the hotel building he and Jiraiya were staying at, waiting for the pervert to return from his daily session of spying on women. If there was one thing Naruto was most disappointed about concerning this trip, it was how the Toad Sage focused more on his "research" than actually training his so-called _apprentice_.

He sighed, feeling depressed about the lack of real value this trip had. He was hoping to show Mito how much he had grown over the years, but the time away from the Hidden Leaf was being wasted in his eyes. Everything he had done – barring the use of the Kyuubi's chakra – could've easily been done within the village walls.

"What's she going to think when I come back barely any stronger?" he mused sadly, afraid of disappointing his earliest mentor figure.

He was broken from his thoughts when he felt a strange pressure bearing down over his form. Frowning, he pocketed his notes and stood up, looking around for the source. The sound of something being forcibly stretched had him turn his gaze upward, and his eyes widened when he saw the space within the evening sky gain a crack before stretching open like a cavernous entrance.

The surprises didn't stop there, for he saw a bundle fall through the opening and start plummeting towards the ground about a mile off from the small town. Officially worried, Naruto pumped as much chakra as possible into his legs and raced off in the direction of the descending bundle. He kicked off trees as soon as he was around them, using them to propel him forward while never losing sight of the bundle.

As he drew closer, he saw long, turquoise strands flailing behind the bundle like a makeshift tail. His eyes narrowed, and he unconsciously added some of the fox's chakra to his legs as he kicked off another tree. This time, the kickoff sent him hurtling towards the bundle and he caught it before flipping to his feet and landing safely back on the ground.

Looking back up, he saw the strange spatial opening close and the sky returned to normal. He frowned at it for a few more moments before he looked down at the bundle in his arms. Carefully adjusting his grip, he pulled back the cloth and gasped softly at the sight of a small child with a terrible head wound that cracked the bone-looking mask on her head and left a nasty gash on her forehead.

To his relief, the blood had dried and wasn't flowing; which meant that she should be safe from bleeding out. However, she could still have other major issues with a wound like that. He adjusted his grip on her again so that he wouldn't jostle her too much, and then rushed off back to the town.

With luck, he'd be able to find a healer for the injured child.

* * *

"She just…fell through some rip in the sky?" the nurse repeated as she looked over the unconscious child. To make the procedure easier, she had cut the child's hair short so that its length wouldn't get in the way.

"Yeah. I was just on a hotel roof when I felt this odd energy spike and then I saw a rip form in the sky," Naruto explained once more. "Is she going to be alright?"

The nurse hummed in concern as she cleaned up the blood and closed off the wound on the girl's head. What was odd to her was that the child's mask wouldn't come off; almost as if it were attached to the girl.

"She hasn't lost too much blood, and I'm having some tested so we can replenish whatever she has lost. This head wound, though, is particularly concerning."

"Was it deep?" Naruto asked with a cringe.

"It was deep enough for me to note that this girl could suffer some serious mental damage; the most likely case being lost memories. What's also concerning is how this mask," she gestured to the cartoonish looking piece, "is attached to her. I can't remove it unless I would wish to hurt her more; and I wouldn't."

"You think it could be linked to some undiscovered bloodline?"

"Possibly. We can test her blood against other bloodlines that we have on file. Thankfully the medical centers in the Land of Fire stay up to date with one another," the nurse noted with a faint smile.

"So…what happens now?"

"Now? We let her rest and have her on fluids. If you wish, you could stay with her until she wakes… That is, assuming she _will_ wake up. As I said, her head wound was very concerning."

Nodding in understanding, Naruto formed a clone to inform Jiraiya of his whereabouts before he grabbed a chair and took a seat next to the girl's bed. He looked to her unconscious face and frowned sadly at something like this happening to a child.

"Hang in there," he whispered, gently grasping her smaller hand. "You'll pull through…"

* * *

Her head was swimming with muddled voices and blurry images that she couldn't connect. Her eyes clenched a few times before cracking open, revealing wide hazel orbs to the world. They blinked to regain their focus before she frowned in confusion.

"W…Where is Nel…?" she asked hoarsely before coughing.

The coughing stirred Naruto from his sleep and he blinked in surprise at seeing the little girl awake after only a few hours. He pushed down his surprise in favor of grabbing a paper cup and filling it with water for the girl.

Moving over to her, he used one hand to gently pat her back while the other offered her the cup. "Here, drink this."

She didn't notice who handed her the cup. All she knew was that there was water in it and that she was very thirsty. Taking it, she took a greedy drink to rinse her throat before coughing again; this time from drinking too fast.

"Easy now," Naruto gently urged, taking the cup to refill it. When he returned to her side, he helped her take sips of the water so that she wouldn't choke again. After the cup was emptied again, he set it aside and asked, "Are you alright?"

Breathing better, the girl turned to the blonde and met his blue eyes with her hazel ones. With a bright smile, she answered, "Yes. Nel is fine. Nel was just really thirsty."

 _'Huh… At least she hasn't forgotten her name,'_ he mused internally.

He noticed Nel look around in confusion before asking, "Where is Nel, anyway?"

"You're in a medical ward. You had a really big cut on your head and you fell from the sky."

"R-Really?!" Nel asked in surprise. "But, Nel doesn't remember getting hurt or falling at all!"

He gently placed a hand on one of her shoulders to keep her in place. "Easy. You don't want to accidentally reopen your cut. Trust me; that hurts."

She looked to him and saw that he was smiling down at her. This helped her slowly relax, though her anxiety was still there. "Do you know what happened to Nel?"

He shook his head sadly. "No, I don't. I caught you before you hit the ground and brought you here, but I didn't see anything that hurt you."

"Oh…"

"Your bracelet is next to you, by the way."

She blinked before looked to the small stand, spotting the white bracelet in question. Her brows furrowed faintly, and she replied, "Nel…doesn't remember seeing that before."

"You were wearing it when I caught you," Naruto explained.

She frowned at nothing before looking to him. "Nel doesn't know what that bracelet it. Nel has never seen it before."

The sureness in her voice made Naruto nod at her in response. "Okay then. I'll just toss it for you, alright?"

At her nod, he grabbed the item and moved over to the waste bin. Just as he was about to toss it, he felt it twitch in his grip and a blurry image flashed in his mind. He couldn't clearly make out what it was, save for it being a silhouette of something or someone.

Blinking back into focus, he looked to the bracelet resting on his palm with a frown. Something told him that the bracelet was more than it seemed; something darker. His frown deepened before he used chakra to grip and crush the bracelet, dropping the broken pieces into the trash bin.

Turning to Nel, he made sure to give her a smile as he declared, "There we go. In the trash."

She smiled back as he sat beside her once again. "So…who are you?"

"I'm Naruto Uzumaki of the Hidden Leaf."

"Ruto?" she asked, shortening his name.

He chuckled at that and simply nodded. "You can call me that if you want, Nel-chan."

Her smile returned just as the nurse came in, and Naruto fought a snicker at how shocked she looked at the girl being awake and alert. With any luck, he'd be able to get her out of the medical ward by morning.

* * *

Szayelaporro frowned when he noticed that the tracer he had placed on Neliel vanished from the screen had kept on for the past century. "I was wondering how long this would last," he mused as he started to work with the screen and study the results of the tracer.

From what he could read from the data, the experimental Garganta he had Nnoitra kick Neliel into had a greater exposure to spacetime displacement. This meant that time acted differently inside of it compared to the outside worlds. What that also meant was that Neliel could be in a world where only a minimal amount of time had passed compared to the century Hueco Mundo just went through.

Making sure to gather everything he could on his findings, the current Eighth Espada left his personal area of Las Noches in search of Aizen. The man would no doubt be very interested in what had happened.

* * *

"What makes you think I'll let you drag a kid along with us during this trip?" Jiraiya asked Naruto after he returned to the hotel room with Nel.

The little girl was wearing the green covering she had been found in, but it was reformed into a gown with a hood that covered her entire body; save for her bare feet. She was currently standing beside the blonde while holding onto his left hand with her right, her hazel eyes looking around the hotel room and the tall man in front of her and Ruto.

"I couldn't just leave her there, Pervy Sage," Naruto argued. "Besides, I was the one who found her; so, I'm choosing to be responsible for her."

"You really think you can handle that kind of responsibility?" the man challenged.

"Probably better than you," Naruto fired back with a slight frown. "Anyway, I'm not going to back down on this. If you really are so against me bringing Nel along, then I'll take her back to the Hidden Leaf by myself."

The Toad Sage groaned as he palmed his forehead. "By the Sage, kid… You're really going to give me some early wrinkles. And the ladies hate wrinkles!"

Rolling his eyes, Naruto took that complaint as him winning the argument and walked with Nel over to his bed. "You should probably get some more sleep, Nel-chan. I'll grab you something to eat for when you wake up."

"But Nel isn't tired," she replied with a pout before she failed to stifle a yawn.

Naruto chuckled at her embarrassed blush. "I think you are. Just lie down and get some sleep, okay? I'll be here when you wake up."

"You promise?" he heard her ask tiredly, already starting to succumb to sleep.

He gave her another smile, this one truer than any he had showed his fellow ninja back home. "Yeah, I promise…" He waited for her to fully fall asleep before he gently patted the cracked part of her mask. "Sleep tight, Nel-chan."

Jiraiya silently watched the exchange and was surprised at how calmly Naruto had handled it. He also noted how Naruto seemed less tense and more relaxed around the green-covered brat. Humming softly in thought, he watched Naruto grab his toad wallet and create a clone before leaving the hotel room. The clone then decided to lie on the bed beside Nel, and she almost immediately turned towards him; more than likely for his natural warmth.

The Toad Sage couldn't fight the small smile the formed. If he didn't know any better, he probably would've assumed that the two were siblings, if not a father and child. Deciding to let it be, he left the hotel room to write a letter.

No doubt Tsunade would want to hear about this.

* * *

When the real Naruto returned, he noted that Nel was still sleeping while his clone was also snoozing. Rolling his eyes in amusement, he put away the food he bought before he swapped places with and dispelled his clone. He smiled at Nel snuggling against him and patted her mask again, this time letting his hand rest on the crack.

To his surprise, he felt his hand stick to the mask while a strangely fluid energy flowed from his chest and down his arm, leaking out from his hand and into the crack in Nel's mask. The eye holes of the mask then flashed a brilliant pink before the room was engulfed in pink smoke.

When it cleared, Naruto was left in speechless awe at the sight of a full-grown woman who looked so much like the little girl he saved. "N-Nel…?" he asked tentatively.

The green gown had stretched and ripped, thankfully in a manner that covered her modesty while her once short hair regained its original length and fullness. Her mask had also changed to a more goat-like appearance that greatly contrasted its once cartoonish look. She still had a scar and the crack in the mask, but a sheathed sword was now seen in her left hand while her right rested against her head.

Noticing that she was about to fall from the bed, Naruto quickly grabbed her shoulder to steady her. This got her attention and she opened her eyes to meet his own, allowing him to see familiar hazel eyes.

"Nel…is that you?"

She regarded him silently for a few moments, searching with her eyes and looking over his form. "You're…the human that saved me…" she murmured. "Naruto…Uzumaki, right?"

He couldn't help but give an awkward chuckle. "You were calling me Ruto earlier; but yeah, I'm Naruto."

She took a moment to look around the room before a flash of realization appeared in her eyes. "I was…ambushed. Baited into a fight by Nnoitra after he…" Her eyes widened in shock before turning back to Naruto. "Was there anyone else with me? Two other Hollows like myself, but with their masks torn off?!"

She was in a panicked state, he could obviously see it. "I…didn't see anyone else come out of that rip in the sky, Nel… Just you…" He saw her lean back, looking both horrified and devastated. "I… I'm sorry…"

"Pesche… Dondochakka…" she whimpered as tears started to form in her eyes, memories of her defeat mixing in with the good times she had with her Fracción. "They were hurt…and I couldn't save them… I… I couldn't…"

Hearing enough, Naruto grabbed her shoulder once again and pulled her into a comforting embrace. At first, she tensed and broke away, but he regripped both of her shoulders and had her look him in the eyes. Her teary gaze met his understanding one, and she stopped resisting before leaning into him and letting out a distraught wail of grief. As she wept, Naruto held her close to him, acting as her emotional pillar like Mito had done for most of his life.

"I'm so sorry…" he kept repeating in a whisper, hoping to comfort her more than he was currently able to.

He didn't know how long he held her, but she was the first to move away; gently pushing back from him as she wiped the lingering tears.

"…thank you…" she whispered softly, almost unheard by him.

"Anytime…" he replied, sitting across from her on the hotel bed. "So…you _are_ Nel, right?"

"I suppose that's what my younger self was going by," she mused, grateful for Naruto's presence and his aid given to her childlike form. "My real name is Neliel Tu Oderschvank, and I am… I mean I _was_ the Third Espada of Hueco Mundo."

"Hueco Mundo?" Naruto repeated.

"It's also known as the Hollow World. It's where Hollows, like myself, reside. I'm a higher class of Hollow, since I'm much more humanlike in appearance save for my mask."

"…Is this something to do with spirits?" Naruto asked.

She nodded, slightly impressed with his deduction. "Yes. But how did you…?" She stopped before her senses picked up the faint feeling of reiatsu coming from his abdomen area. "You're spiritually aware," she concluded. "Interesting."

"Yeah, I've been able to see and talk to spirits for as long as I could remember. But, no one else has been able to from what I've noticed; even when a spirit is right next to them." He then realized something and asked, "Wait… If you're a spirit, how come Pervy Sage and that nurse were able to see you?"

She frowned at the question, thinking over what had happened after her defeat. "…After I was ambushed and beaten, I was sent through an experimental Garganta created by Szayelaporro Granz. My guess is that, since I reverted into a child form beforehand, the Garganta had an effect on my spiritual composition and made me closer to a human."

"…I'm a bit lost," Naruto admitted.

She smiled at his confession, once again thankful for his presence. It was helping her cope with everything that happened. "To keep it simple, I'm in a physical form that can interact with everyone; whether they can see spiritual beings or not."

"Oh, that's easier to understand," he replied, bringing a fist into his palm.

Her smile remained before she felt a small spike of pain from her mask. "…It looks like I'm limited on time before I revert back into my younger state. My reiatsu is still too unstable to hold my true form for too long." She looked him in the eye and continued, "I can see a great deal of compassion and understanding in you, Naruto Uzumaki. Please, take care of my younger self and keep trying to repair the crack in my mask. You have reiatsu, which is spiritual energy. You must learn how to call upon it to fix my mask."

Her head lowered as her hands clenched the covers of the hotel bed. They trembled slightly before she took a breath to calm her raging emotions.

Looking back to him, she finished, "I hope to speak with you again soon. I find myself…enjoying your company."

He looked surprised at her statement before he smiled brightly at her. "No worries, Neliel. I promise to do everything I can to help you; no matter what form you're in. And Naruto Uzumaki never backs down from a promise."

Neliel found herself impressed once more by the human before her. He had heart, and that heart was a driving force in his life; something she could both appreciate and admire. Just as the eyeholes of her mask flashed once more, Neliel gave him one last smile before another burst of pink smoke filled the room. Once it cleared, Nel was seen resting on the bed once again; her mask once more cartoonish looking, her hair once again short, and her sword missing.

"Huh… Must be related to her true form," Naruto mused before he helped Nel get more comfortable in the bed. Looking down at her sleeping form, his eyes burned in growing determination as he whispered, "Reiatsu… Spiritual energy… I have some serious training to do if I'm going to help you, Nel-chan…" He then smiled, closing his eyes and shaking his head with a chuckle. "I always wind up in crazy situations, don't I?"

Looking down, he gently grabbed his scarf and imagined the faces of his parents, Mito, and then Neliel.

"I've got a lot of promises to keep… No point in stopping now. I'll keep them all and make you guys proud," he declared softly.

With his mind made up, he gathered his notebook on fūinjutsu and opened it up to a blank page. He had some more seals to draw out.

* * *

 **WOOT!**

 **Got this chapter finished! How's it look? Does everything add up, or does something not make sense?**

 **I've been wanting to do a Naruto/Neliel story for a while now; especially since there aren't many of them on the site. I'm telling ya, THAT was a real surprise to me.**

 **So, I'm hoping that this story will help spearhead some more of this pairing! Also, keep in mind, this will be a single pairing story. Sorry in advance to anyone who wanted me to add anyone else.**

 **Now, in this story, Naruto is spiritually aware like Ichigo was at the start of** _ **Bleach**_ **. The reason for this is simple; the Shinigami (the one from the** _ **Naruto**_ **series) had a hand in sealing Kurama. Naruto has been "touched by death" in a way, giving him access to and some understanding of the spiritual side of the world.**

 **He will also be more emotionally developed than his canon self, mostly due to him interacting with Mito's spirit for so long. As for Mito, she is a tethered spirit (like that one Plus that was chained to the hospital in** _ **Bleach**_ **). She's safe from becoming a Hollow…for now.**

 **Until next time!**

 _ **~pain17ification~**_


	2. Chapter 2: Enlightenment

**I love you guys! Most, if not ALL, of you are on board with this story and I can't thank you enough!**

 **I hope to start thanking you with this update!**

 **I, Raymond Smith, own nothing**

* * *

 _Hollow_

 _Chapter 2: Enlightenment_

* * *

 **"You surprise me more often than I care to admit, boy,"** the Kyuubi spoke to Naruto during one of his thinking periods.

It had been a week since the blonde Uzumaki had found Nel and met her true form, Neliel. During that period, he had made good on his word about bringing the young-looking Arrancar with him and Jiraiya and keeping an eye on her. She reminded him of how he used to act as a child; vibrant and naturally curious about the world around her.

He hadn't made any breakthroughs on discovering his latent reiatsu that Neliel said he had, but that didn't stop him from going over many different theories concerning it using fūinjutsu. Mito had told him that fūinjutsu had limitless potential, and it the only time there were "limits" was when your creativity/spontaneity dwindled.

Thankfully, due to having a history designing pranks and thinking differently than others, Naruto had creativity in spades. He just needed to figure out how to apply it to his seals.

"How so, Fox?" Naruto replied, sitting across from the caged Bijuu within the seal.

 **"For starters, I'm surprised that you were able to see and interact with the lingering spirit of my first prison. That Uzumaki woman was terrifying with her seals, and she proved it by sealing me within her without any help."**

"Mito-sensei thinks that my ability to see ghosts is linked to the seal my old man used on you. The Dead Demon Consuming Seal summons a Shinigami, right?"

 **"An avatar of Death, yes."**

"Since _Death_ was a part of your sealing, Mito-sensei thinks that I can see ghosts because I've been, in her words, _touched by Death_. This means that I've been in contact or around an incredibly potent level of reiatsu."

 **"That spiritual energy the bone-headed woman mentioned,"** the Bijuu clarified.

Ignoring the insult, Naruto continued, "But, even though I have the potential to use reiatsu, I'm still no closer to figuring out _how_ I can do so. I'd ask you for help, but I doubt you'd want anything to do with this."

 **"Considering how you squander my chakra, you're correct on your assumption, brat."**

"For the record, I don't want to use your power. Sensei told me stories of how strong she was without you, and I want to reach her level someday. Besides, neither of us asked for the connection we share; so, why not just accept what happened and go about our own business? I do my thing and you do yours."

The Kyuubi snorted at that. **"My** _ **thing**_ **is only possible outside of the seal, and we both know you won't remove the damned thing."**

"Well, isn't being sealed in me a better alternative than having Akatsuki take you? We still don't know why they want the Bijuu, but it can't be anything good, right?"

 **"** _ **That**_ **we can agree on… I have my own guess on what could happen if they managed to capture us all, but such a thought is too crazy to accept."**

"Care to share?"

 **"No."**

"Figured as much…"

The Bijuu laid down on his side of the gate. **"…Why not just try and split your chakra?"**

"What are you talking about?" Naruto asked, raising a brow.

 **"Split your chakra,"** he repeated. **"It's a mix of physical and spiritual energies, right? Why not make a seal that splits or separates them?"**

The blonde Uzumaki blinked at the notion. "Why didn't I think of that…?"

 **"You've been too distracted from being able to put your full focus on the issue. With looking after that broken child and** _ **training**_ **with that hermit, you can't go 100% on the subject at hand."**

"…Why help me, then?"

 **"I'm bored. Living sixteen-plus years inside of you drags on with nothing of interest. The only breaks from this boredom I've had were the times you used my chakra; and even** _ **those**_ **times weren't all too exciting. Although, I will admit that using my form to pin down Shukaku was both amusing and flattering."**

"Yeah, I'm all about parading your ego around," Naruto deadpanned, earning an amused smirk from the Kyuubi.

 **"Hearing you acting fearless around me can also be counted as interesting, to be honest. That** _ **Hollow**_ **intrigues me, as well. She had this deathly presence about her, and it had a darker undertone to it. If I had to guess,** _ **Hollows**_ **are the quote-unquote 'dark side' of Death."**

"Sensei told me that the concepts of 'Light' and 'Dark' are all based on perspective. To the Hidden Leaf, people who are against them are 'Dark' while our allies are 'Light'."

 **"That woman really has made an impact on you; an acceptable one, I'd grudgingly admit."**

"Good. I'd be worried if she didn't influence my life at least a little bit. Mito-sensei was there for me when I needed someone to talk to; more so than Old Man Hokage could've been."

 **"Well, not everyone is a spirit tethered to a physical structure, after all."**

"Fair point."

 **"Anyway, try devising a seal that separates your spiritual energy from your physical energy. If chakra is a blend of the two, then it should only make sense for you to access** _ **reiatsu**_ **by separating it from the equation."**

"Sounds like a better idea than any of the other ones I've thought of. Thanks, Fox." He turned to leave the area holding the seal but paused before he took a step. "Y'know… I hope we can have more talks like this. It's refreshing talking to you when you're not all murderous and angry at me."

With that, the Uzumaki walked off before he faded out of the seal, leaving the Bijuu to contemplate on the young man's parting words.

 **"…"**

* * *

"I've recreated the Garganta I experimented with before, Aizen-sama," Szayelaporro stated as he stood before the flickering vacuum of space being generated in his lab.

The traitorous Shinigami, once an esteemed Captain of the Fifth Division, had a casual smile on his face as he observed the unstable portal between worlds that Hollows could make. He could already feel the spiritual energy leaking out in a twisted and misshapen manner, further displaying the instability of the experimental Garganta.

"Good. Are the Hollows equipped with those tracers of yours?" the man asked calmly.

"Yes, sir. They're ready to be sent at any time," the Eighth Espada replied.

Saying nothing more, Aizen walked over to the Garganta while holding up a glowing cube that had a spherical object within its core; the Hōgyoku. The glowing item shined brighter while the Garganta reacted to its glow, shimmering and flickering dangerously around its edges before stabilizing. The black space within the Garganta also gained a faint violet shade, barely noticeable except at the right angles.

"Send two of them through, Szayelaporro. And keep me informed on what happens to them," Aizen ordered as he secured the Hōgyoku within his sleeve. He then turned and walked away, leaving the Espada with his orders.

Szayelaporro said nothing in reply to Aizen's order. Instead, he picked two random Hollows and sent them through the Garganta before closing it and moving to his data screen. He was curious about what may occur himself, after all.

* * *

It was three days since Naruto's talk with the Kyuubi, and he was currently walking through the small village that the trio had decided to stay in for the night. Nel, to her delight, was seated on his shoulders thanks to Naruto agreeing to give her a piggyback ride. She was currently leaning against the back of his head while his hands held her legs securely on his shoulders.

"So, Nel-chan, what should we do first? You want to get something to eat, or do you want to see if any stalls have games?" Naruto asked, playing the role of Nel's older sibling.

It was something he found himself easily sliding into, considering how Konohamaru and his friends would constantly refer to him as their "nii-chan". It was endearing to him, especially since he had no siblings of his own thanks to his parents sacrificing their lives for his own.

"Games! Nel wants to play games with Ruto!" the Arrancar exclaimed excitedly.

With a chuckle, Naruto nodded and declared dramatically, "To the games, then! Let's go, ttebayo!"

"Yeah!" Nel cheered, throwing both hands into their air.

Unnoticed by Naruto, Jiraiya was watching his godson's interactions with the little girl he rescued. In his opinion, he thought the girl would be a distraction to Naruto; but, he was proven wrong during the previous training session when the boy got a few clean shots on him during their spar.

What really got his attention, though, was how Naruto was starting to throw out different tactics in their spars. He was now using sealing tags to impede the Toad Sage; tags that Jiraiya was sure he never showed the kid before. This brought up the question of where Naruto learned to make them, and who taught him the basics. The Uzumaki had never shown his lineage before until recently, and the display was staggering due to the lack of prior evidence.

So, he had taken to observing his apprentice when the young man thought he was out peeping; whether it was personally, with a clone, or with a small scout Toad. Naruto was obviously hiding something, and he wanted to know what it was, or why he felt the need to hide it in the first place.

He just hoped that Naruto would still be the knucklehead he had made his apprentice.

* * *

Naruto frowned at the sealing array he was working on, carefully taking his time with his brushstrokes so that the formula would be neat and precise. Mito had told him, almost religiously, that his calligraphy was the worst she had ever seen from an Uzumaki.

He had sulked for hours the first time he heard it, reminding the woman of her late husband's eccentricities.

"Just…one…more…stroke," Naruto breathed out as he finished the array and backed off. With a relieved sigh, he took a moment to observe the results of his efforts and smiled at everything looking in order. "Good. Now, I just need to test it out."

 **"And what will you test it on?"** the Kyuubi butted in from within Naruto's mind. **"I'm tempted to** _ **plead**_ **that you not test it on yourself and potentially kill us both."**

 _'I thought you were just chakra with a conscious?'_

 **"And what sort of energy do you think** _ **makes**_ **that consciousness? Chances are that I'll be just as affected by this seal of yours as you are. So, you'd better be damned sure that it's** _ **safe**_ **before using it on yourself, brat."**

Naruto frowned at that, thinking over his options before shrugging to himself and creating a Shadow Clone. "You know what's going on, right?"

"Yep. Gonna test it on me so that, if anything happens, I just dispel. Right?"

Nodding, Naruto faced his duplicate and held up the tag. "Okay then… Spirit Ejection Seal!" he declared as he slapped the tag on his clone and primed it with chakra.

The symbols on the seal lit up a bright white before changing to a golden-orange shade and spreading across the body of his Clone. The Clone didn't seem bothered by anything, looking expectant and slightly anxious; but not in any pain or discomfort. This was a good sign.

After a few moments, Naruto frowned as he saw a spectral flicker come off his Clone before it was forcibly dispelled. "Hmm… So, I'm guessing it worked since Clones need chakra to exist. If the seal really ejected the spiritual energy, then the Clone obviously couldn't stick around."

 **"That sounds accurate enough,"** the Kyuubi agreed before his tone turned dry. **"I'm guess you're going to recklessly try it on yourself next, aren't you?"**

Naruto only gave a sheepish chuckle at that as he started preparing a second tag. "Nothing ventured, nothing gained."

 **"I swear you'll be the end of me,"** groused the Bijuu. **"I'd stop you…"**

 _'But~?'_ Naruto mentally drawled out.

To his amusement, the Fox actually sounded embarrassed as he admitted, **"…I'm curious about what might happen, alright?"**

Chuckling to himself, the blonde Uzumaki finished the tag and inspected it for a few minutes before declaring it safe. He sat on the chair the room provided and gave a small glance towards Nel's sleeping form. He smiled softly at the young Arrancar before he silently placed the tag on his chest and primed it.

Like with his Clone, the tag started off with a white glow before it changed to golden-orange. It spread across his body evenly, splitting down the middle as it spread to his face. After a few moments, he felt a shift in his chakra before a great force hit him like the freight train he outran while protecting Koyuki years ago.

With a gasp, he felt himself get pushed back before his back hit the wall of the room and he slid to the floor. Taking deep breaths, he observed the room and saw that nothing was disturbed before his eyes turned to the chair he swore he was seated in. Getting to his feet, he heard a chain rattling and looked down to see one attached to his chest; just like the one Mito had.

However, instead of seeing it attached to an object, he saw that it was attached to a body; his body. It was surreal to him, seeing his physical body slouched in the chair with a chain attached to its chest that was linked to the one attached to his.

Curious, he gripped the chain links closest to his chest and gave a gentle tug. As soon as his wrist twitched to pull, he felt agonizing pain and immediately let go with a gasp; falling to his knees as he felt all his strength leave him in an instant.

 **"SON OF A-! BE CAREFUL, DAMMIT!"** he heard the Kyuubi rage in his mind, the seal on his stomach glowing bright red on both his physical and spiritual bodies. **"That chain is obviously tethering your spirit to your body! What the hell do you think will happen if you yank it off, you damned imbecile?!"**

The question and consequences sank in, and he felt a shiver of dread climb up his spectral spine. _"R-Right… No messing with the chain. Got it."_

 **"You better remember that, brat,"** growled the Bijuu before he took a breath. **"Now, let me tell you what I'm experiencing from my end. The representation of the seal changed as soon as your spiritual body was ejected from your physical one."**

 _"What does it look like?"_

 **"An island; one that's surrounded by vast oceans and what looks to be a never-ending sunset. There are also smoothed stone markers that I can only assume are graves. My guess is that they're linked to people you've lost that have had a major impact on you spiritually."**

 _"Can you make out any names?"_

He heard the Fox growl thoughtfully, most likely while he took a look at the gravestones. It was still a bit concerning that he had _graves_ within his own spiritual center.

 **"I can make out four names, brat. The first two belong to your damnable father and spitfire mother."**

 _"Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki…"_

 **"The last two belong to that duo you faced the first time you used my chakra,"** the Kyuubi finished.

Naruto stilled in surprise at that. _"Zabuza and Haku…? Why would they-?"_

 **"If I remember right,"** the Fox cut in, **"you made some sort of pledge on the grave markers you made for them in Wave. Perhaps that was when that spiritual connection happened?"**

 _"Maybe… I should really go visit their graves and see if they're still around. I'd love to talk with them again…"_

 **"Anyway, that's all I can see concerning the changes. I'm still tied to you, but the seal and gate changed to a collar with the sealing formula on it. Looks like I have slightly more freedom to move in your spiritual body."**

 _"You're not going to try and overtake me or anything, will you?"_

 **"No. it wouldn't work anyway; I already tried."**

He would've face-faulted if he wasn't more concerned with what to do next. _"Okay, so obviously the seal works since my spiritual self is out… Then that must mean…"_

He trailed off with eyes closed as he focused within himself, opening them again to the sight of the Kyuubi seated on a solitary island that had a thin layer of grass above the sand save for the shore. On the shore itself were the grave markers that the Bijuu told him about, and the very center of the island had a single tree that had beautifully pure white blossoms on it.

 _"Not bad,"_ he mused as he walked over to the gravestones, smiling softly at the names engraved on them and placing his hand on each one for a few seconds at a time to pay his respects. He then set his sights on the tree and headed for it, stepping around the Bijuu who was watching him with disinterest.

Reaching the blossoming tree, he took note of a carving made on its bark; a carving that took the shape of his clan insignia. He fought a chuckle at that and placed his palm against it, closing his eyes to focus while his faint smile never faded. He felt an airy substance flowing through the veins of the tree, travelling upward from its roots and spreading out to the blossoms themselves.

Removing his hand, he reached up and gently picked a blossom from one of the branches, holding it gently in his palm. He took note that, while the petals of the blossom were white, the core with the faintest orange that was only noticeable if you looked hard enough. A small island breeze picked up, carrying the blossom out of his hands and out to sea where it settled itself atop the calm waters.

However, as soon as it rested, a ripple echoed across the waters and the blossom gave off a brilliant glow as white as winter. Both Naruto and the Kyuubi looked on with interest as the blossom faded away into light particles that were carried on another island breeze; this time returning to the blonde Uzumaki. He reached his arm out towards the light, letting the particles dance between his fingers before they moved to his scarf and clung to it.

The scarf gave off the same white glow that the blossom once did, and Naruto felt a rush of energy flow through him; filling the void that once held his chakra but couldn't because of his spiritual form. The cores of his blue eyes gained a glowing white ring before his consciousness returned to his spiritual body.

He held up his arms to look at his hands, staring at the palms for a few moments before closing his eyes and concentrating. Like when he would call upon chakra, he felt energy flow through his spiritual body which began to flicker with white flames that originated from his scarf and abdomen.

Opening his eyes once more, they had the white rings within their blue depths and Naruto smirked in triumph at the power he felt racing through him.

 _"So…this is reiatsu,"_ he mused before his spiritual body ignited in white fire and flowed back into his physical body. He stirred before opening his physical eyes and sitting up in the chair, holding up his right arm with the palm facing upward.

Feeling for the reiatsu within him, he was pleased that he could differentiate it from the chakra he was born with; comparing its feel to that of oil (reiatsu) and water (chakra). A small flicker of white fire ignited in his palm, the flames no bigger than a thumbnail; but still, it was progress.

He smirked as he finished his earlier musing, "I like it."

* * *

The following morning, Naruto opted to sleep in for once; feeling that he earned it after his success the night before. He had moved to the bed with Nel, letting her curl against him and rest her head atop his chest as she slept. The two felt a measure of comfort around one another that they couldn't recall feeling for quite some time; Naruto because of the life he lived, and Nel because of her unstable spiritual energy damaging her memories.

This was the scene Jiraiya opened the hotel room door to, and he felt torn about letting his godson sleep or waking him up to train him. He saw the relaxed state he was in as he slept, as if nothing in the outside world matter to him now. He then turned to Nel and saw that she had a smile in her sleep, cuddled against the larger body beside her.

Feeling sympathetic, the Toad Sage decided to leave the two to their sleep and quietly left the room. His apprentice needed moments to rest and forget about the troubles he would soon face.

* * *

It was night once more in the Land of Fire, and one of the more successful gambling towns was alight with life as the night crowd enjoyed themselves. The people within the town were merry, feeling peace despite the practically never-ending cold war between their country and the others that housed Hidden Villages.

However, these peaceful souls were unaware that the sky above started to twist and stretch before a spatial opening formed and let out two strange creatures with bonelike masks covering their heads.

The first looked avian, with a falcon-styled mask and two pairs of wings while the tail was whip-like with vicious barbs on the end. The second looked canine, standing on all-fours with strong forelegs and lithe hindlegs. It had two tails, each with spaded tips that looked as sharp as its claws while the mask on its face took on the stylings of a jackal.

The jackal Hollow sniffed the air before licking its bone-covered lips hungrily. _"Plenty of souls down there,"_ he growled out, nearly yipping in excitement.

The falcon Hollow flapped its wings once to push its body forward, taking a more thorough look at the town below. _"More than we were getting before; that's for sure."_ He turned back to his fellow Hollow, a gleam of excitement seen in his red eyes. _"What say we try a few samples?"_

* * *

"Alright!" Jiraiya declared with a bright grin aimed at his apprentice at Nel. Unknown to the man, it had been almost another week since Naruto discovered his reiatsu. "This will be our last night staying in a town before we start trekking back to the Hidden Leaf. So, let's enjoy our last stay in civilization for a while!"

"Yay…" Naruto drawled out, knowing why the Toad Sage was so excited.

Since this was a ritzier town than others, this meant more attractive _inspirations_ for his perverted book series.

Looking to his side, he saw Nel looking around in growing excitement at the lights and people around her; no doubt wanting to take part in any festivities. "You want to go check out the games, Nel-chan? Or do you wanna eat first?"

"Nel want to eat first," she replied.

"Okay. Let's go see if there's a ramen stand anywhere," he suggested.

"Yay! Ramen!" she cheered, taking off down a random street and pulling a chuckling Naruto with her.

With the other two gone, Jiraiya dropped his jovial act and quickly formed a Shadow Clone that took the image of a nondescript man. "Keep an eye on them. We don't know what could happen."

The Clone nodded and followed after the younger duo, getting lost in the crowd of people.

The Toad Sage frowned to himself when he was alone once again. "Something's coming… I don't know what, but I can feel it…"

He hoped he was just being paranoid, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing for a spymaster.

* * *

The two Hollows sat atop one of the buildings of the bustling town, watching the unaware souls below with hunger in their eyes. _"Oh, I can't decide who to go for first!"_ Jackal bemoaned.

 _"Just pick some, already!"_ Falcon snarked, his hunger making him angry. _"I said you can pick our samples, so hurry up and pick!"_

 _"I'm trying, but they all look so-!"_ He cut himself short and sniffed the air for a few moments before he started salivating. _"You smell that? Two high-level spiritual energies close together, and they're here somewhere!"_

 _"You know my sense of smell is nowhere near yours. Just take the lead and I'll follow."_

 _"You got it! I'll sniff them out in a heartbeat!"_ Jackal promised before taking off in the direction of the delectable spiritual presence.

* * *

Naruto, with Nel on his shoulders, grinned as he won the Arrancar a stuffed animal at a Ball Toss booth. His grin grew faintly at her choosing a fox one, and he couldn't help laughing at the irony.

 **"At least she has good taste,"** sniped the Kyuubi, which only made Naruto snort in more laughter.

"So, what booth do you want to try next, Nel-chan?"

"Nel wants to do that fishing one! Nel wants a-!"

She and Naruto froze in place when they felt a faint pressure on their shoulders trying to weigh them down. Blue eyes narrowed before they darted around, looking for anything out of the ordinary. They flicked by two odd looking animals to look down another crowded street before quickly darting back, taking note of the bonelike masks on their heads.

"Hollows…?" Naruto asked softly, earning Nel's attention.

"More people like Nel?" she asked quietly.

He shook his head and looked to see if anyone else noticed the Hollows' presence. To both his relief and annoyance, nobody did. "No, not people… They look like a dog and some weird bird."

"Oh…" Nel responded, sounding sad; though she couldn't figure out why. Her head suddenly throbbed and she held it as blurry images raced across her mind. "…Pes…Dondo…"

Naruto heard her mumbling and grew concerned. "Nel-chan…? Do those two look familiar to you?" he asked, making his way out of the crowded streets and towards the nearest exit of the town.

She groaned at the throbbing in her head, but still took a moment to look at the Hollows as they trailed after the duo. "N…No. Nel hasn't…seen them…before…"

Nodding in understanding, Naruto called on his chakra to summon a Shadow Clone. He handed Nel off to the Clone and ordered, "Take her somewhere safe and keep an eye on her. I'll try and bait away those two."

"Got it, Boss," the Clone replied and prepared to head in a different direction.

"R…Ruto…" Nel called out, still fighting her throbbing head.

Naruto gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, Nel-chan. I'll be fine; I promise."

Seeing his smile and promise brought an odd feeling of déjà vu to her, but it also allowed her to trust Naruto's declaration. So, she gave him the best smile she could as the Clone took her away.

With one less thing to worry about, Naruto kept moving toward the exit of the town, passing through it and moving away from the town to a darkened field that was only lit by faint moonlight. He stopped moving at that point, turning around to face the approaching Hollows.

"So…what are two Hollows doing here in the Elemental Nations?" he questioned with narrowed eyes, letting his chakra flow through his body.

 _"How the hell does a human know about us if Szayelaporro-sama said no Hollows ever set foot in this place?"_ Jackal asked.

Falcon narrowed his eyes while his barbed tail twitched dangerously. _"I don't know, but this human knows too much as it is. We need to hurry and eat him before he spreads the word about our existence."_

Naruto's eyes narrowed further at that while Jackal licked his lips in anticipation. _"Sounds good to me! Let's get him!"_

With a battle crying yowl, Jackal charged forward while Falcon flew up and moved to circle around. Naruto knew what the play was, and he was confident he could take them both on without much trouble. So, he met Jackal's charge while forming two clones behind him.

 _"W-What?"_ Jackal stammered out in surprise, never halting his charge. _"How can a human do that?"_

"You obviously never met a shinobi before," Naruto mused as one of his clones formed a Rasengan in a couple of seconds while the other grabbed the first's arm and launched him at Falcon. "Allow me to enlighten you on what you're up against! Rasengan!"

In an instant, an orb of dangerously swirling chakra formed in Naruto's palm and he had it spearhead his charge. Jackal gathered his reiatsu in retaliation, coating his claws in crimson energy that clashed with the jutsu in a deadlock.

" _How the hell is a human doing this?!"_ he cried out in frustration.

Falcon dove in a flash, avoiding the airborne Rasengan before clashing his bladed beak against the kunai of the second Clone. _"Tch! Damned human! This should've been easy!"_

"You wish!" the Clone fired back, pushing back Falcon and throwing a shuriken that was batted aside by the barbed tail. He then flipped through handseals and took a deep breath before blowing out his sole Wind Style jutsu. "Drilling Air Bullet!"

Seeing the rippling wind, Falcon swerved around the bullet while whipping his tail in Naruto's direction, firing off the barbs like a small volley of kunai. They were avoided by Naruto leaping over them, forming a Shadow Clone to act as a springboard that he used to shoot himself toward Falcon, clocking him in his mask with a chakra-coated fist.

 _"AGH!"_ the Hollow cried, being flung back with tremendous force and sent sprawling on the ground.

 _"Bastard!"_ Jackal growled out, still in a deadlock with the original. _"Tell me how you're fighting us Hollows! It shouldn't be possible!"_

Naruto smirked at that, pumping more chakra into the Rasengan and making it grow slowly, which allowed him to start pushing Jackal back. "I told you already; I'm a shinobi, ttebayo!"

The Rasengan detonated at that, pushing back Jackal with its expulsion while Naruto slid back a few feet with his sandals digging up twin trenches in the ground. Falcon saw this and knew that they were outmatched.

He also knew that they were expendable. They were merely scouts meant to carry recorders so that Szayelaporro could report what they witnessed in this world. As such, it didn't matter if he made it out alive or not; the Eighth Espada would be getting the data regardless.

 _"Szayelaporro-sama,"_ he spoke quietly to the device clipped around his neck, _"if you're able to hear this, be on the lookout for a blonde human with spiked hair and blue eyes calling himself a shinobi."_

With his final message made, Falcon forced himself back up and gathered reiatsu in his wings before flapping them towards the Uzumaki, sending out sharpened blades of wind toward the blonde. He wasn't at all surprised when the shinobi dodged them, but he did try and use the attack to give him room to make a retreat.

Jackal was too injured to make a run for it, plus his lack of aerial maneuverability made him an easier target.

Naruto saw the avian Hollow trying to make a break for it, and he knew that he couldn't use any jutsu to catch up to him in time. So, throwing a chakra-enhanced kunai at Jackal's mask – which cracked it dangerously as it pierced through it – he raced after Falcon while stopping his chakra flow to call on whatever reiatsu he could.

 _'Come on… Focus it through you and concentrate. Concentrate…'_

He started gaining on Falcon, who was struggling with three wings and a damaged fourth one.

 _'Concentrate…'_

He felt energy stirring within him, gathering from his abdomen and flowing into his scarf.

 _'Gather as much as you can and concentrate…'_

His scarf started flickering with white fire.

 _'Concentrate, dammit!'_

His eyes gained white rings and he stretched his arm out towards Falcon with a cry of, "Binding Threads: Kushina!"

From the flickering aura surrounding the scarf, the white fire raced up Naruto's arm and shot ahead, taking the form of a spiritual chain made of the same flickering fire. It raced toward Falcon and speared through one of his wings before wrapping around him.

 _"W-What?! What is this?!"_ he cried through the pain before he was slammed onto the ground by Naruto. _"AGH! Damn you, shinobi!"_

His red eyes widened when he saw the obvious reiatsu flowing from the blonde, flowing around him from the scarf he wore around his neck and shoulders.

 _"H-How can-? How does a human have access to spiritual power?!"_ he screeched, enraged at being beaten, but also passing along the info vocally through the device around his neck.

Naruto grinned proudly at his accomplishment. "Guess I'm just a special kind of human. Remember this name, Hollow; Naruto Uzumaki, shinobi and spirit fighter!"

He glared hatefully at the Uzumaki, lunging as much as he could through the chain holding him down. However, the action made the white fire blaze, burning him and making him screech before his body disintegrated into reishi (spirit particles). The reishi flowed into the fiery chain before it receded back into Naruto's scarf and died down, letting Naruto feel the slight increase in reiatsu from absorbing the defeated Hollow.

"Huh… Wasn't expecting that," he mused aloud before fondly grasping his scarf. "Binding Threads… That's what you're called, huh? Sounds pretty good to me, ttebayo. The threads in the scarf act like the bonds that weave through me and my precious people." He chuckled to himself at the corny attempt at being poetic before he started heading back to the town.

Unknown to him, the two tracers cracked because of the lack of reishi and crumbled in to dust, scattering away in the evening breeze. It wouldn't be long before whatever was recorded would be seen and heard by Hueco Mundo's scientific Espada.

And it wouldn't be long before all of Hueco Mundo learned of the strange human with spiritual powers calling himself a shinobi.

* * *

 **Tada! Chapter Two is finished!**

 **Now, before anyone asks, Naruto's power is a Fullbring. Just as his spiritual awareness and latent reiatsu was because of Death having a hand in sealing Kurama, so to is the spiritual influence of Death playing a role in what his power is.**

 **Besides, I love the idea of the scarf Kushina knitted for Naruto being both a source of comfort and a catalyst of his strength. What do you guys think of the name, by the way; Binding Threads?**

 **I think it fits, but tell me what you think!**

 **Next chapter will have Naruto return home where he will reunite with Mito-sama and have his second encounter with Neliel!**

 **Until then!**

 _ **~pain17ification~**_


	3. Chapter 3: Homecoming

**I, Raymond Smith, own nothing**

* * *

 _Hollow_

 _Chapter 3: Homecoming_

* * *

It was a misty morning in the Land of Waves, and Tsunami was smiling as she prepared breakfast and lunch for her father and son. Ever since Inari had been inspired years ago by Team 7, he had strived to learn as much as he could from Tazuna about construction and carpentry.

She mentally thanked a certain blonde member of Team 7 for helping her child believe again and find his inner strength. Tsunami took a moment to look out the window of her kitchen, spotting a small part of the large bridge her father had built and that Team 7 had restored the hope of her countrymen.

"I wonder how they're doing," she mused softly, returning to her cooking before she accidentally burned anything.

It was around half an hour later that she finished cooking the food and she was currently packing what she had cooked for her boys' lunches. Their breakfast plates had been set aside on the table, ready for them to eat as soon as they woke up.

She was interrupted from her work by a knock at her door. Curious as to who could be calling this early in the morning, she headed for her home's entrance while wiping her hands on her apron.

"Coming!" she called to the knocker just before she opened the door to the sight of a familiar, yet older, blonde.

Wild and sunny blonde hair rested atop an angular face highlighted with unique whisker markings and deep cerulean eyes. Around his shoulders was a green scarf with blue stripes, resting atop a black jacket that had an orange trim on the edges, interior, and zipper. The jacket itself was open, showing a sleeveless orange shirt resting beneath some mesh armor. Black pants were held up by a sash that held a metal plate with the Hidden Leaf symbol on it, the legs being tucked into black sandals that covered his shins with orange armor. Over it all, he wore a slightly damaged storm gray cloak with the hood up and the Uzumaki Swirl on the back. Unseen by her, the necklace of the First Hokage was tucked beneath his orange shirt.

Beside the blonde man was a young girl with turquoise hair, hazel eyes, and a hooded gown that covered her form save for her bare feet. The hood was down, showing a cute mask with a large crack that rested on her head. What stood out with the girl was the large scar that lined up with the crack in the mask and the red marking that stretched across her nose and cheeks below her eyes.

The man grinned brightly at her and greeted, "Long time no see, eh Tsunami-chan?"

Her eyes lit up in happiness at her visitor, stepping forward to embrace the blonde Uzumaki. "Naruto-kun! It's wonderful to see you again!"

He chuckled as he returned her embrace. "Same here. Sorry for not visiting, but things have been busy these last few years."

"Oh, don't worry about it. I had a feeling that being a shinobi would cut into any time needed to come here. I'm just glad that you _did_ visit." She then looked to the young girl and asked, "So, who's this little one?"

"Nel is Nel!" the Arrancar greeted with a smile as bright as Naruto's. "Nel is Ruto's friend after Ruto saved Nel from falling out a hole in the sky!"

Tsunami blinked at the explanation and looked back to Naruto, who was rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "It's a long story. Mind if we come in?"

"Oh yes, of course! You came at a good time, also. I just finished making breakfast, and there's plenty extra to make you both a plate."

"You don't have to do that," Naruto tried to politely decline as he and Nel followed the woman into her home.

"Nonsense! You and Nel are guests in my home. The least I can do is offer you both something to eat and drink."

"Nel is hungry, Ruto…" the hazel-eyed girl notified, showing Naruto where she stood on Tsunami's offer.

Sighing, Naruto gave the woman a smile and acquiesced, "We'd love to have some of your cooking. Thanks, Tsunami-chan."

She gave the young man a knowing smile. "Women always get their way in the end, Naruto-kun. It's best that you learn that now before it's too late."

She then left for the kitchen, giggling in amusement at the sight of Naruto's comical slump just before she departed. Yes, it was wonderful to see the blonde knucklehead again.

* * *

A certain Sage sighed in annoyance as he walked through the streets of the Hidden Leaf, heading for the Hokage Tower to speak with his old teammate; _alone_.

He was not happy, knowing that Tsunade would be even _less_ happy when she saw that Naruto was not with him. The way Tsunade had bonded so quickly with Minato's brat still surprised the Sage; but, he chalked it up to Naruto being the one to knock some sense into her and restoring her faith.

It was amazing how Naruto was able to sympathize with others and change them for the better. Tsunade was just one of many that Jiraiya had witness change after meeting Naruto; the new Kazekage and the Branch Hyuuga prodigy being two others that got sense literally knocked into them. And apparently, there were others that he reached out to and changed before they died.

It was because he wanted to visit their graves that Jiraiya wasn't making a bigger stink about leaving him to face Tsunade alone. Hell, he still took time to visit the Memorial Stone and talk with friends and loved ones that he lost.

Finally making it to the office, he decided to try and lessen the Hokage's anger by using the door instead of the window. He knew she hated when he did that, and he'd rather have more time before she punched him into orbit.

Knocking, he waited for her to grant him permission before he entered her office, already dreading what was going to happen when he saw the confusion written on her face. "Jiraiya…where's Naruto?"

He sighed and simply said, "Wave."

She blinked at the single-worded answer. "Why…?"

"He's visiting some old friends and a couple of graves. That's all he told me last night. He and the other brat were gone this morning before I even woke up."

She groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose. "And you didn't follow him because…?"

"He can take care of himself. I'm considering this a test to see how far he's come without me around as a buffer for bigger threats," the man answered boastfully.

The dry look she gave him showed the man that his answer was stupid. "You and I know that's a load of bull. Why did you really come here without him?"

Taking a seat on the small couch in the office, the Toad Sage got comfortable before regarding Tsunade seriously. "Naruto's been hiding something; from everyone. I think that girl he saved may be connected to it, but I also think that he's been hiding this secret long before he met her."

Steepling her fingers, Tsunade asked, "And what makes you suspect the brat of hiding anything? More importantly, why do you care? Everyone is entitled to their own personal secrets. Just because you're so openly brazen about anything doesn't mean that everyone else acts on the same wavelength."

"Usually, I wouldn't be concerned about his secrets," he agreed. "But, he was acting so much differently than what I was used to before I took him on the trip. He wasn't a ball of endless energy all the time; he was collected and calm. He didn't complain much except for when I left him on certain exercises for a few hours. Hell, he didn't even make a fuss when I spent the first year drilling in the basics that he still hadn't mastered!"

"I'll admit that it's odd to not hear about his complaints; but, maybe he was just trying to give this trip his full efforts? From what I can tell, you're the first person to give him hands-on instruction without other people getting in the way; like how Kakashi had to divide his workload between his other two students."

"Actually, I think you'd better take a closer look at what Kakashi taught his brats, because Naruto was seriously lacking in basics; dispelling genjutsu being a prime example of something he was never taught."

Tsunade frowned faintly at that. "I'll be sure to look into it. But, how does Naruto's change in attitude qualify him hiding something?"

"It's just the start. During one of our spars after he rescued the brat, he pulled out some fūinjutsu that I know for a fact I never showed to him. I barely tried to teach him the basics before he walked off. At first, I thought he was just not interested; but now, I'm thinking someone else taught him and he was hiding what he knew."

"Every shinobi needs a trump card, Jiraiya," she tried shooting down.

He frowned at her response. "Fine. How about how he left the girl with a Clone of his before walking out of a town's festival and had a fight with nothing?"

"…That sounds completely ridiculous."

"I thought he was simply testing out some combinations, but I saw him make a Rasengan and struggle with _nothing_ while a Clone did the same with a kunai. It was like some unseen enemies were targeting him and he fought them off. I couldn't even sense anything in the area except for his chakra!"

"Invisible shinobi that could erase their chakra presence?" she guessed, frowning now.

"Possibly… However, the biggest shock was when he chased after something I couldn't see and then called out his mother's name as if it were some sort of technique."

Tsunade looked surprised. "He called out Kushina's name?"

"Yes, and his chakra faded from my senses as he did so. Whatever those invisible enemies were using, Naruto has access to it; more than likely for a while now. You need to speak with him about this; he won't talk to me."

"And why exactly is that, Jiraiya?" she pressed, her anger bleeding into her voice. "Why wouldn't Naruto feel comfortable discussing things with you?"

Officially sweating, Jiraiya gave a strained grin and nervously replied, "Well, uh… He thinks that…this trip was…a waste?"

The next moment, a Sage shaped hole was formed going through the roof of the Hokage Tower while a pervert reached for the stars.

* * *

Standing in front of two makeshift grave markers was Naruto, who was staring at the small crosses with somber eyes. Behind one of them was a massive sword stabbed into the earth, and the other had a white cloth draped respectfully atop it. Blue eyes then slowly panned up and saw spectral chains attached to the crosses, stretching above them and connecting to a pair of spirits that the Uzumaki was hoping to see.

"Zabuza… Haku…" he greeted softly, giving them both a faint smile.

The Demon of the Mist looked to the older blonde that he last saw as a brat. _"You've grown up from the whining welp I first met,"_ he remarked.

 _"Zabuza-sama,"_ Haku began, her voice as gentle as ever, _"must you try and instigate?"_ She then returned Naruto's smile and added, _"It's wonderful to see you again, Naruto-kun."_

"Same here, Haku. I'm sorry I never visited. A lot has happened since Team 7's mission here in the Land of Waves."

 _"I'm more curious on how the hell you can see us, brat,"_ Zabuza cut in. _"As far as I can tell, you're still alive and kicking. How can you see us when we're dead?"_

"I've been able to see and speak with spirits for as long as I can remember. I'm still trying to figure out why I never saw your spirits before I returned back home all those years ago…"

 _"Perhaps this gift you have needed to mature alongside you? Or maybe our spirits hadn't tethered to the graves you made for us in time for you to speak with us?"_ Haku suggested.

"Maybe… But, I'm not going to dwell on it. What matters now is that I _can_ see you, and I've wanted to talk to you two for a while now."

 _"What about, kid?"_

"I wanted to say thanks to you both, and that I'm sorry that we ended up fighting. I couldn't help blaming myself about your deaths, even when I know that I did all that I could to try and prevent them."

 _"Kid, I learned early on in my shinobi career that there are plenty of things you can't change. Shit happens, and strong people move on through the hard times while weaker people dwell on them. I'll admit that you helped me regain my strength before I died, and that wouldn't have happened if we never started off on opposite sides."_

 _"Plus,"_ Haku added, _"you showed me what it could've been to have a friend; someone who could understand my pain and help me through it. I regret not being able to expand on that friendship, but I'm still glad that I met you, Naruto-kun."_

He smiled sadly at the Mist shinobi spirits. "Yeah… I'm glad I met you both, too. You two inspired me into forming my own nindo and taught me what real strength meant. You helped me see that being a shinobi wasn't some silly game and that I needed to be the best I can for the ones I cared about." A soft chuckle escaped him as he declared, "I made a promise to myself that I would never go back on my word, and that I would risk everything that I am for the people I cherish. I made that vow right here," he pointed to where he was standing, "and I've made sure to stick to it ever since."

The two spirits smiled at the blonde Uzumaki; smirking in Zabuza's case.

 _"Kid,"_ the swordsman began, _"do me a favor."_

"Anything," Naruto promised.

Gesturing to his buried weapon, the Demon of the Mist declared, _"Take up my sword. It was never meant to collect dust and rust away on some hill. It's a weapon, and it should be used as such."_

Naruto was shocked at the request. "…Why me?"

 _"You helped me end my story as a human instead of another demon. You broke through my self-made illusions of shinobi being nothing more than tools and weapons, proving that we're all still human inside; that we can feel, that we can dream, and that we can stand together. I can think of nobody else to pass on my sword to, because I know that you will give it a legacy that generations will recognize."_

The two men stared one another down, the larger descending to the ground to stand before the blonde and place a large hand on his shoulder.

 _"Naruto Uzumaki… I pass the Kubikiribōchō onto you."_

Naruto felt himself standing a fraction taller at the man's declaration, watching as he stepped aside to allow Naruto access to the sword. Stepping up to it, the Uzumaki reached out with his right hand to grasp the handle, feeling a sudden breeze blow past him and flare up his cloak and jacket.

With a determined gaze, Naruto gripped the handle tighter and removed the blade from its earthen sheathe, holding it with ease while Zabuza smirked and Haku smiled proudly.

 _"Use it with pride, brat. You're carrying my legacy with you, after all,"_ the Mist Demon warned.

Resting the blade on his shoulder, Naruto turned back to the two spirits with his signature grin. "No worries, Zabuza. I promise that it's in good hands."

The two nodded before their spectral forms gave off a faint glow. _"Huh… Looks like it's finally time…"_

 _"Seems that way, Zabuza-sama,"_ Haku agreed, sounding sad about what was going to happen.

Naruto said nothing, simply gazing at the two spirits somberly before he felt movement beneath his cloak. Looking down, he saw that his scarf was covered in his reiatsu before it split apart into the thousands of threads that made it, wrapping around his right wrist before attaching to the chains of Zabuza and Haku. White spiritual fire outlined the trio, slowly absorbing the chains and safely detaching them from the two spirits before changing them into reishi and assimilating them into Naruto.

A rush of power was felt flowing through him, building up in a flourish before expelling like a breath of air. The power froze the ground beneath him while the energy flowed out from his body and took the shape of a demonic face that grinned darkly behind him.

Zabuza and Haku were left slightly awed at what happened while Naruto realized what his scarf had done. "Binding Threads… It really does connect me to those I hold close."

 _"What are you talking about, kid?"_

"I mean that, since you both influenced me deeply on a spiritual level, my scarf let me inherit some of your abilities. It's called Binding Threads, and I awakened it's power when I unlocked my own spiritual power."

 _"So…this means that…?"_ Haku began.

"That I can keep _both_ of your legacies alive," Naruto finished, giving them both a grin bursting with determination and pride. "Don't worry about me, you guys. I'll be fine now that part of you will always be with me in spirit. I promise that I won't let you two down!"

As their spiritual forms began to fade into reishi, Zabuza chuckled at the Uzumaki while Haku gave him a beautiful smile. They both nodded to him in respect before they fully faded away, the wind of the Land of Waves carrying the last of their spirits out to the ocean while Naruto's scarf reformed and situated itself over his cloak, taking the form of a makeshift holster for the Kubikiribōchō.

Smiling, he took a breath before flourishing the massive weapon and setting it into its new holster with ease, grinning at his success. He then turned to the crosses one last time and bowed to them in respect, holding it for a few seconds while silently wishing them a peaceful rest.

With his final farewell given, Naruto straightened himself up before turning around and heading back to Tsunami's home; feeling the warmth of the sun on his back as it shined behind him and hit the two graves with a hopeful light.

* * *

The next morning, Naruto and Nel bid goodbye to Tsunami and her family while the blonde Uzumaki promised to visit again when he could. He shared a hug with the woman and her son before shaking Tazuna's hand, turning around so that Nel could climb onto his shoulders. Giving the family one last grin, he took off at full-speed to the Hidden Leaf.

"Was it just me, or did that kid seem more…at peace?" Tazuna asked his daughter while Inari looked up in curiosity.

Tsunami smiled to the two men in her life. "Yes, he did. Whatever he did yesterday seems to have lifted a heavy weight off his shoulders. Maybe it's because he took on that sword of Zabuza's?"

"Maybe," Tazuna agreed. "Still, I never thought that he'd be the one to pull it out of the ground after so many people tried and failed."

"Zabuza must've been waiting for Naruto-nii to return and pick it up," Inari suggested, earning thoughtful looked from his mother and grandfather.

"Maybe so, sweetheart," Tsunami agreed with a gentle smile before she ushered them inside to give them their lunches for the day. Before entering herself, she took one last glance down the road Naruto took and whispered, "Take care of yourself, Naruto-kun…"

* * *

"Faster, Ruto! Faster!" Nel cheered as she held onto Naruto throughout his sprint. "Go faster!"

"Heh! You asked for it, Nel-chan!" he replied, gathering chakra into his legs and shooting off in a blur that left a faint sonic boom. He then kicked off the ground, leaping high into the air and getting Nel to squeal in delight. "Hang on, Nel-chan!" Naruto warned before he gathered his reiatsu and started kicking off the reishi in the air, essentially leaping throughout the sky as he raced to the Hidden Leaf.

"WOOHOO!" Nel cheered as they rushed through the air, quickly arriving near the gates of the great village.

Deciding not to make a scene, Naruto cut off the flow of his reiatsu and rapidly fell back to the earth, making Nel cry out in surprise before it turned into more excitement. Just before he landed, he had the reishi cushion his impact so that he landed with the tap of a footstep.

"Man, I love reiatsu," Naruto exclaimed to himself before he turned to the large gate of the Hidden Leaf and headed for it. Once he was within speaking range, he called out, "Yo, Kotetsu! Izumo! Look who's back home!"

The two Chunin Gate Guards turned to the voice before they both smiled in recognition. "Naruto! Good to see you, man!" Kotetsu greeted before he took note of the girl on his shoulders and the sword on his back.

Izumo noticed them also and exclaimed, "Whoa! Was your time away _that_ exciting?"

Naruto grinned knowingly as he answered, "You guys have _no idea_! Anyway, I'd better hurry up and meet baa-chan before she gets even more pissed. I'm technically late, after all."

"By how long?" Kotetsu asked.

"I was supposed to be here yesterday. Hey, maybe I should make up some sort of excuse like how Kakashi-sensei usually does!"

The two Chunin snorted at the idea before they grinned in agreement. "Make sure it's a good one!" Izumo bid before Naruto waved farewell to them and walked off.

"Ne, Ruto? Who were those two?" Nel asked, oblivious to the stares she and Naruto were receiving.

"Oh, those two were old friends of mine. They used to help me pull off pranks here in the village," he answered, aware of the stares but ignoring them expertly. "Right now, I'm going to introduce you to someone who I like to call baa-chan."

"Is she Ruto's grandma?"

"No, but she's old enough to be," he informed with a chuckle, returning his focus to the road. "I'm sure she'll like you, though."

"Nel thinks Nel will like her too!"

Another chuckle escaped him as he kept talking with Nel, telling her about the many parts of the village she pointed to and asked about. He was so relaxed around the young looking Arrancar that he never noticed that he passed by a small eatery that had a certain Sand kunoichi as a patron.

Teal green eyes looked on in surprise at the sunny blonde that walked passed her with an excitable green-clothed kid literally hanging off his shoulders. She couldn't help but blush faintly at how his carefree smile brought out his natural appeal, noting that the last two and a half years allowed the Uzumaki to fill out nicely.

Finishing her meal, she gathered her belongings before leaving money for the bill and taking off to the Hokage Tower. She had to prepare the Hokage for a certain Maelstrom's homecoming.

* * *

"Should be here any minute now," Jiraiya spoke up from his position on the windowsill. "I've been keeping track of him with one of my Scouter Toads."

"I still find that to be a betrayal of trust, Jiraiya," Tsunade replied. "You know that he wouldn't keep tabs on you like that."

"I wouldn't have to resort to this if he didn't hide things from me. I'm his teacher and he's my apprentice. He shouldn't need to hide anything."

"Everyone is entitled to their own privacy, Pervert. You just ignore that entitlement and use it for those damnable books of yours."

"Maa, Tsunade-sama," Kakashi spoke up from his position against the wall, reading the newest edition of Jiraiya's book series. "Everyone needs to draw inspiration from somewhere."

The Hokage gave a dry look to the Jonin, earning his infamous eye-smile. She was prevented from commenting when her office door opened and Sakura walked in.

"Is he here yet?" she asked, not bothering to greet anyone since she caught up with Kakashi and Jiraiya yesterday.

"Almost," Kakashi answered before they all heard a knock at the door.

"Enter!" Tsunade called, prompting the door to open again and reveal Temari. "Yes?"

"Just wanted to let you all know that a certain someone is almost here, and he's not alone," the Sand kunoichi informed.

"We know already," Jiraiya replied dryly. "Well, not all of us; but the important people do."

Kakashi and Sakura gave the man dull stares at his comment while Tsunade fought an amused smirk at her old teammate's easy dismissal of them.

"How soon do you think he'll be, Temari-san?" Shizune asked politely.

"Should be coming up now. I managed to get here while he was just down the street. I saw him passing by when I was having lunch and hurried over so I could tell you."

"Tell them what?" a familiar, yet more mature, voice asked. When everyone turned their attention to him, Naruto raised a brow at their mixed stares. "What? You guys never seen a whiskered blonde before?"

Tsunade shook off her surprised stare for a stern look. "Brat, where were you?"

Here, Naruto sheepishly grinned while rubbing the back of his head. "Yeah… Sorry I'm late. You see, I was caught up in some sudden waves before I washed ashore and met up with an old demon and princess. We talked for a while before I was gifted with the demon's sword, which helped guide me home!"

Everyone, minus a certain scarecrow, sweatdropped at the excuse. Kakashi simply chuckled and gave the Uzumaki a thumbs-up. "Nice one."

"Learned from the best bullshitter I know," Naruto replied cheekily before crouching slightly to let Nel jump down from his shoulders. "Nel-chan, these are some of my friends. You already know the Pervert, but the other guy with white hair was my old teacher, Kakashi."

She looked to the Jonin, who gave her his signature smile. "…Cyclops!" she exclaimed in shock, her eyes wide.

Awkwardly chuckling, Kakashi replied, "Actually, I'm not a-"

"Then there's Sakura," Naruto interrupted, making the man slump comically. "She's my old teammate."

The pinkette looked to the turquoise-haired child, giving an unsure smile. "Uh, hi…?"

Nel, on the other hand, moved closer to Naruto and gripped his pant leg, giving Sakura an accusing stare.

"Um, why is she staring at me like that?" Sakura asked Naruto, who shrugged.

Nel kept her small glare before she asked, "What's your relationship with Ruto?"

"…Huh?" Sakura asked, unable to think of anything else to say in response.

The others, meanwhile, found the moment very amusing and stifled their chuckles.

"Anyway," Naruto resumed, "the blonde lady with her hair up is Temari. She's a sister of Gaara."

"You mean Sandy?" Nel asked curiously, making Naruto grin while Temari face palmed at the nickname for her brother.

"Yep! She's really strong and uses her fan to make wind attacks!" the Uzumaki answered, earning him some brownie points with the Wind Mistress.

"Wow!" Nel exclaimed with sparkly eyes. "Nel wants to see!"

Temari smirked at the girl, moving over to pat her on the head. "Maybe some other time, Squirt."

"The lady next to the other blonde is Shizune. She's really nice. You'll like her."

Shizune gave Nel a warm smile and greeted, "It's wonderful to meet you, Nel-chan."

"Nel is happy to meet Shi-Shi too!" she returned, making the medical kunoichi giggle behind her hand at the nickname.

"And lastly is Tsunade-baa-chan!" Naruto rounded off, earning a tick mark from the Hokage while Nel looked to her in wonder.

"Baa-chan is pretty!" she declared. "She doesn't look old at all!"

Naruto bit his lip to keep from laughing as Tsunade's tick mark gained two friends. "That's everyone! Everyone else, meet Nel-chan!"

Nel waved brightly, showing a childish innocence to the others. Sakura, still a bit rattled from the sudden accusation, simply stood in silence. Kakashi offered a lazy wave in response while Temari and Shizune smiled at the girl. Tsunade gave Nel a short glance before returning her attention to Naruto.

"We have a lot to discuss, brat. Everyone else but Jiraiya leave," she ordered.

"Me too, Tsunade-sama?" Shizune asked in slight surprise.

"Yes. This is something private."

"Are you sure I shouldn't stay as well, then?" Kakashi questioned.

"If it's important enough, I'll fill you in later. Until then, leave."

While he was slightly miffed, Kakashi nodded before he led Sakura out of the office and Shizune led Temari out. Nel stayed beside Naruto, earning a raised brow from Tsunade.

"I want her out of here too, Naruto," she explained sternly, making Nel move closer to Naruto.

The Uzumaki frowned faintly at that. "You don't need to be so harsh about it," he groused before he crouched down to face Nel. "I need to talk with Pervy Sage and baa-chan for a little bit. I'll leave you with a Clone that will take you home. Okay?"

"Nel wants Ruto to come too!" she cried, giving him a pouting glare.

"I know," he replied calmly, patting her head with a smile and surprising Tsunade with his caring tone. "But I'll be back as soon as I'm done here. Then we can go get some ramen and I'll introduce you to Teuchi and Ayame-nee-chan. Can you wait that long, Nel-chan?"

She kept her pout. "…Will Ruto's copy play with Nel?"

"Of course, he will!" he answered with a grin. "Just tell him what you want to play, and he'll play with you; promise!"

When she heard that word, she finally dropped her pout and smiled. "Okay!"

He patted her head again while a Shadow Clone popped into existence beside him, once again surprising Tsunade since no seals were used. "Take Nel-chan to the apartment. Whatever she wants to play is fair game."

"Even _Eternal Tag_ …?" the Clone asked with a grimace.

" _Any_ game."

Resigned to his fate, the Clone crouched down for Nel to jump on his shoulders before he left the office. The real Naruto then moved to the wall to lean the Kubikiribōchō against it before he stood before Tsunade's desk.

"So…? What was so important you sent everyone else out?" he asked with a frown.

"Don't give me that look, brat. You were supposed to be here yesterday and I'm not going to deal with your usual attitude. _I'm_ the one who's angry right now. Understand?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama," was his reply, making Jiraiya hide a wince at the steel in his voice. It reminded him of Kushina whenever she was getting angry.

The Hokage simply nodded before she continued, "Now, Jiraiya informed me yesterday about how he felt the last two and a half years went. I want your opinion on them."

"Anything I accomplished on that trip, save for one thing, could've easily been done here, Hokage-sama," Naruto answered professionally, his face betraying nothing.

Tsunade fought a frown at that, not used to seeing this side of Naruto. "And what was the one thing you think couldn't have been accomplished?"

"Saving Nel-chan and taking her in. If we didn't go on this trip, no one would've found her until she had already died."

"You can't honestly expect me to believe that she fell out of some hole in the sky, brat," she shot down.

"Believe what you will, Hokage-sama. All I'm saying is that I was in the right place at the right time when it came to her recovery. I'm just grateful we were near a medical facility aligned to the Land of Fire."

"And do you think you'll be able to handle the responsibility of taking care of a child with your circumstances?" she pressed.

"If you mean the Akatsuki, then yes. I know that I'll be able to keep her safe. If you mean the Kyuubi, then I'm sure I can keep myself in check."

The last comment was practically spat in her face, and she winced at how he took her question. "Naruto, you know I didn't mean it like that."

"Was that all, Hokage-sama?" he asked without missing a beat, still not showing anything.

She opened her mouth to speak, but she backed down when she realized that continuing this would only widen the rift she had started to build between her and Naruto. And she didn't want that.

"Naruto, I'm not trying to start anything with you," she stated sincerely. "I'm just worried about what has happened since you left, and I don't want you to think that I don't trust you." When he didn't answer, she continued, "Please, can we talk about this normally and not as a shinobi and their Kage?"

Slowly, Naruto dropped his professional look for a small frown that showed his slight hurt. "Kinda hard not to feel that way when you're asking questions that make it sound like you're doubting my abilities. I'm not going to lose control of the Fox, Tsunade. I thought you trusted me on that?"

"I do, Naruto," she replied. "I'm just concerned about the choices your making. Taking care of a child at your age is a big responsibility. Not to mention that you're doing it alone without any prior experience."

"If I was able to take care of myself for years without anyone helping, I think I can manage looking after a little girl who has nothing," he fired back with narrowed eyes.

She and Jiraiya both winced at that, honestly forgetting how little support Naruto actually had while he was growing up.

"Anyway, I'm sure that's not the only reason you sent everyone else out. What else are you trying to figure out?"

"You've been hiding some things, kid," Jiraiya spoke up this time. "Things that you should've mentioned before. Why didn't you tell me that you already had a decent understanding of fūinjutsu before we left on this trip?"

"Because it was none of your business. What I knew before you decided to train me is my business, and nobody else's. Besides, I should be the one asking what the hell you _both_ are hiding from _me_."

"We're not-"

"Don't you dare try to bullshit me anymore, Tsunade!" Naruto cut off, visibly angry. "How dare you two sit there and accuse me of hiding anything from you when you both hid the truth from _me_! Why should I trust you when you wouldn't even have the guts to tell me who my parents were?!"

"So, you did know…" Jiraiya mused with a frown. "That's why you called out Kushina's name that night of the festival."

"Spying on me again, you perverted bastard?" Naruto snarked. Mentally, he was berating himself for not noticing the Sage that night.

"Yes! When my student keeps things from me, I make it a point to look into it; even if I have to keep tabs on him!"

"I'm not the Akatsuki or any other criminal! You spying on me makes me feel like you see me that way, and it's not fair when you're bigger criminals than I am! What kind of people decides when the time is right for a child to know about their parents?!"

"Naruto, we just wanted to keep you safe," Tsunade tried to reason.

"Safe? If that's your real reason, then where the hell were you earlier in my life? Where were either of you on the nights I questioned why I was alone, or when I had to teach myself how to find food, or when I was pushed away by ignorant parents who feared me? You two, and even the Old Man, just never trusted me!" His anger was boiling now. "Hell, I never found out about the Fox until I was almost _killed_ as an Academy Student! And I'll be the Old Man would've kept lying to my face about it if that bastard Mizuki never had the chance to spill the beans that night!"

"You weren't ready to know!" Jiraiya argued.

"Who are you to judge when a Jinchūriki should know about the Bijuu they carry? What if I went on a mission without know about it and lost control? Whose fault would it be then? Because it sure as hell wouldn't be _mine_!"

Jiraiya would've argued some more, but Tsunade cut him off. "You're right, Naruto," she declared, getting both of them to look at her. "Kushina was told about the Kyuubi before she became its container, and you never got a choice in the matter. It wasn't fair to you to grow up with this stigma that you never understood, and that others kept secret from you. To be honest, I'm surprised that you never snapped under the emotional pain and fell victim to the Fox's influence."

 **"Feh! Clearly, she's never seen your more willful moments,"** the Bijuu commented.

"I'm stronger than you think, Tsunade," Naruto spoke up. "I'm just sick of people demanding I trust them when they never return the sentiment."

"I understand. So, I'm asking for a clean slate from this point on," she suggested. "I don't want there to be anymore secrets that can ruin this bond we have. You may not think so right now, but I _do_ care about you, Naruto. I don't want to lose anyone else that I care about; not when I've lost so many of them already."

He was tempted to tell her that Mito was still around, but he kept quiet and gave her a small smile in agreement. "…I think I can live with that. I'm still upset, but I can't keep dwelling on this if I want to move forward. Otherwise I'll be like Sasuke and how he never moved on from what Itachi did."

"Right… Thank you for understanding, Naruto. I still want to talk some more about your trip, but I think it's best if we hold off on that for a little while. We all need time to think about what's been said today."

Nodding again, Naruto moved over to the Kubikiribōchō and holstered it. Turning back to the others, he gave Tsunade another small smile before leaving the office.

"You should've asked about that other thing," Jiraiya grumbled.

"Only you seem to be so concerned about it," she shot down. "Besides, if I pushed any further, I doubt he would've agreed to give me another chance. I wasn't lying when I said I didn't want to lose anyone else; whether it's through death or any other method."

Snorting, the Toad Sage didn't reply to her comment and left her office via the window. He had his own thoughts to settle.

* * *

That evening, Naruto was seen standing before Mito's spirit before he gave her a warm embrace that she returned without hesitation. _"It's wonderful to see you again, child. I can see how much you've grown; and not just physically."_

"A lot happened during the past couple of years, sensei," he explained. "I figured out how deep my connection to the spiritual side of the world goes, and I met someone who came from a separate part of that world. She's hurt, and I need to keep working so that I can help her heal."

 _"Sounds like quite the story. Why don't you tell me everything you've experienced so far concerning your spiritual connection? Maybe I can help you sort things out."_

Smiling gratefully, Naruto spent the next couple of hours regaling his ancestor about his first meeting with Nel and Neliel. He then told her about what Neliel informed him of Hueco Mundo, and about why she's forced into a younger form with fractured memories of her past. After that, he told her about how he and the Kyuubi figured out how to unlock his spiritual power, about the true potential of his mother's scarf, and how Zabuza and Haku's spirits helped him grow stronger.

He then showed her what he could do with Binding Threads to prove how much he had grown, allowing her to see the manifestations of his connections to Kushina, Zabuza, and Haku. Finally, he told her about his encounter with the two Hollows and his concerns about running into more in the future.

"I'm worried about what else may show up. One of those Hollows threw out a name, which means that someone else in controlling them or is in charge of them. I haven't seen anyone else reacting to spiritual presences, and I can't help thinking that I'm the only one in this fight that I _know_ is going to come."

 _"You fear that your efforts won't be enough when the time comes; that you will become overwhelmed with having to deal with these malevolent spirits as well as the Akatsuki on the physical plane,"_ she summarized, earning a nod. _"Have you tried to give Nel some of your reiatsu again?"_

"Not yet… I wanted to be sure I had decent control over it before I tried."

 _"Based on what you've told and shown me, I think you'll be fine,"_ Mito assured him with a supportive smile. _"You've grown from the small boy I met so long ago, Naruto-kun. You've become a young man that I know can carry on the legacy of our people, bringing the Uzumaki name back into the shinobi world with confidence."_

He smiled tearfully at her words, feeling a swell of pride at the sheer belief her voice portrayed concerning his abilities. "Thank you…Mito-baa-chan."

Her smile softened at the title, having only heard him call her that a handful of times. She gave him another hug, letting him relax in her embrace before she pulled back and cupped his cheek lovingly. _"You remind me so much of Kushina-chan… I see her in you more and more as time goes on, and I know without a doubt that she'd be proud of the man her son has become."_

He chuckled through his lingering tears, relishing in the warmth he felt from the moment.

 _"Now, get back to Nel and do what must be done. Don't rush it, don't force it, and don't despair over it. Let things run their course and do your best."_

"I will," he promised, giving her a bow of both respect and gratitude before he took off back to his apartment, leaving Mito smiling towards his departing form.

* * *

When Naruto returned to his apartment, he saw that Nel was still asleep and the Clone he left to watch over her was reading through his personal notebook on fūinjutsu formulas. "Thanks for keeping an eye on her," he said, earning a grin from the Clone.

"Hey, she's important to more than just you, Boss," he replied before dispelling, giving Naruto his memories.

Shaking off the mental input, Naruto moved over to Nel's resting form and smiled softly as he gently brushed some of her bangs behind her ear. His hand then moved slowly from her hair to the damaged mask, resting atop the crack before Naruto closed his eyes in concentration. With months training his reiatsu, it came to him with ease now, and he slowly opened his eyes again to reveal the white rings within them to the world.

Letting his spiritual energy flow, he had it build up in his hand before he slowly began transferring it into Nel's mask; the action producing a slowly building white glow from the blackness within. Like it did before when he accidentally gave her his reiatsu, the eyeholes of Nel's mask slowly started to glow pink before they flashed once and blinded Naruto with their brilliance. The room was covered in pink smoke that slowly dispersed into the air, revealing Neliel laying comfortably atop Naruto's bed.

She started to stir as Naruto removed his hand from her mask, blearily opening her eyes to his blurred image before she blinked a few times to get them into focus. "Naruto-san…?"

He gave her a warm smile as he greeted, "Nice to see you again, Neliel… I finally unlocked my reiatsu."

Sitting up with a groan, she reached out with her senses and smiled faintly at the feel of Naruto's spiritual core. "So, you have. That's wonderful news."

"I'm hoping that I can restore you to this form soon, but I know that it will take some time."

"Yes. The damage I sustained was more than I realized, and my spiritual energy needs to be resorted from the distorted mess it has become. However, with continual doses of your reiatsu fixing the flow, I should hopefully return to this form soon."

"Glad to hear that. I made a promise to help you, after all," he reminded her with his signature grin, earning a soft smile from her.

"That you did, to which I'm grateful." She closed her eyes and took a feel of her energy, mentally estimating how much time she had before she reverted back into Nel. "I believe I may have enough time to hear how you unlocked your reiatsu and why it feels so strong already. I'm curious as to what you did between our first meeting and now."

Grinning a bit wider, Naruto sat down on the chair his Clone was using before he said, "I guess I should start by saying that my connection to the spiritual world has been with me since the night of my birth." At her understanding nod, he continued, "See, I was born on October tenth, and on that night, a great beast known as the Kyuubi was released from my mother…"

For the first time in years, Naruto shared the circumstances of his birth with another person, and he knew deep down that she wouldn't judge him like so many had done before.

After all, Neliel was _more_ than the humans of the Elemental Nations. She would understand; he knew.

* * *

 **That's the end!**

 **Man, what a chapter! Reunions, powerups, arguments, and the true start of a bond between our orange knucklehead and the hazel-eyed beauty of the Hollows! This is the longest chapter yet!**

 **Next chapter will go over the test between Kakashi and his students. However, before that happens, Naruto will encounter another spirit in the Hidden Leaf he never knew about.**

 **Who is this spirit, and what will happen when they realize that Naruto can interact with them?**

 **Hint: they knew Naruto's mother.**

 **Until next time!**

 _ **~pain17ification~**_


	4. Chapter 4: Spiritual Revelations

**I, Raymond Smith, own nothing**

* * *

 _Hollow_

 _Chapter 4: Spiritual Revelations_

* * *

"You're certainly a unique case in regard to discovering spiritual awareness, Naruto-san," Neliel spoke after hearing Naruto's story. "To have been around an entity of death and to have the seal you carry bear its essence… I'm not sure if anyone else like you exists."

"Yeah, I guess I'm one of a kind," he replied, his tone joking while his face showed a lingering layer of somberness. "I just wish I had more time with my parents, though. I'm grateful for them saving me and letting me live my life; but, a part of me wonders if the cost was worth it."

"Don't speak things like that."

He looked to her in surprise, catching the stern look on her face.

"You even courting such thoughts spurns their sacrifice, Naruto-san. It's almost as if you lust for more than what you already have; your life."

"I didn't mean it like that," he tried to argue. "I just… I miss them, y'know? It was hard growing up without anyone, surrounded by people who either want nothing to do with you or wish you would just disappear."

"An existence like that is similar to how we Hollows live our lives in Hueco Mundo. We are, at times, simple creatures who only desire to fill a void that is always lingering within us. And to do so, we feed; whether the feeding is on Human souls, Shinigami, or even our fellow Hollows. It's a sad existence, but it is _our_ existence."

Understanding flowed through him, seeing a kinship between himself and the woman before him. "I'm sorry you have to live like that, Neliel."

"Do not apologize for something beyond your control, Naruto-san," she replied, gracing him with a faint smile. "I appreciate the sympathy, and I can understand where those feelings are coming from; but you never knew about us Hollows until you met me. I'm almost afraid to find out what our encounter will spell for your home and the souls residing in it."

"Hey, if anyone else shows up looking for trouble, I'll be there to lay the smackdown on them, ttebayo!" he declared, flexing an arm with a determined grin.

Her smile grew at that, finding herself believing in him and his declarations. "I hope you won't have to, Naruto-san." She tensed when her energy spiked briefly, wincing in discomfort. "I've run out of time."

"Oh… I'll try to find a more lasting solution as soon as I can, Neliel. I promise."

She smiled at him. "I know you will. Thank you for your efforts so far. I've appreciated our talks and I believe I can see just the kind of person you really are, Naruto-san. Please keep watching over my younger self."

"Of course!" he replied with a grin, watching as Neliel was engulfed in smoke again and Nel was revealed passed out on the bed. His grin softened to a smile as he moved the blanket to cover Nel, patting her gently on the head when he finished before heading for his couch. "Home sweet home…" he murmured as he waited for sleep to claim him.

* * *

It was the early hours before dawn when Naruto jolted awake with a soft gasp, his eyes wide as he stared at the ceiling of his apartment. Slowly, he calmed down before he roused himself to a sitting position, rubbing the exhaustion out of his eyes.

"Another one," he muttered.

 **"You have some strange dreams, brat; stranger than the ones you had when you were still a ramen-obsessed idiot."**

"They feel so real, though… I see places that I've never been to before, and I see people that I have vague feelings for; whether they're friends or enemies."

 **"You think they're more than dreams?"**

"Yeah… I think that…they may be memories. I'm seeing people with Hidden Mist headbands, or others with Hidden Leaf ones; people I've never met before."

 **"Hmm… You have awakened your spiritual links to your mother and those two from Wave. Perhaps that connection has reached to your soul and you're viewing the lives they've lived?"**

"So…I'm seeing what made them the people they were before they passed on?"

 **"In a sense. I'm seeing what you see during these dream sequences, and some of those people knew Kushina during my time sealed into her."**

"What about that woman with black hair that mom talked to a lot? She kinda looked like Sasuke…"

 **"Ah, that Uchiha woman… Yes, Kushina spoke of her often. I would assume they were close friends. As for her looking like the Uchiha who turned on you, I can only assume it's because she may have been his mother."**

"Sasuke's mother knew my mom… That's not something I was expecting," he mused, moving over to his window and looking toward the direction of the old Uchiha District. "Hey, Fox…"

 **"What now, boy?"**

"You know how Mito-sensei was chained to that mask shrine the Uzumaki guarded? What if there were still some Uchiha that never passed on since Itachi killed them?"

 **"I'd be pleased to hear about them suffering, honestly. The Uchiha and I are not allies, considering how I was used by two of them throughout my existence. Not to mention that…"**

"Considering what…?"

A growl was heard. **"Nothing… Just forget I said anything."**

"Kinda hard to, but I'll wait until you wanna talk about it. At any rate, I'm gonna see if any of them are still there."

With his decision made, Naruto made a Shadow Clone to watch over Nel before he left his apartment through the window and started heading for the Uchiha District. Binding Threads had once again take the form of a scarf that fluttered in the wind as Naruto leapt across the rooftops before landing at the entrance of the district.

Just from his point of view, he frowned sadly at the empty district that looked more akin to a ghost town than a once proud home. He stepped through the entryway, walking along the pathways and looking at the abandoned homes and shops. To think that Sasuke came to this place every day since the loss of his people, only to be constantly attacked by memories of people he once knew; people he vowed to avenge.

Part of Naruto sympathized with Sasuke; but he couldn't accept the way his wayward teammate was going about it. He had to make Sasuke come to his senses, somehow.

The sound of movement caught his attention, followed by the briefest pulse of spiritual energy. Frowning, Naruto started to let his own reiatsu flow as he moved more cautiously; not wanting to be caught off guard by whatever was lurking around.

A sudden scream of horror was heard, and his eyes widened before he rushed to the source. He turned a corner before freezing in shock at the sight of a winged figure pinning down a soul with black hair and eyes. Before he could do anything, the figure lunged its head down and bit the head of the soul, lifting the entire body and letting it fall down its throat with a disturbing gulp.

"Hollow…" he muttered, making the figure twitch before it turned to face him.

With the moon now hitting its face, he saw that this Hollow had a feline tail and hindlegs while the forelegs looked more bird-like. It had wings as black as night while the mask on its head took the design of a raven while a feathery mane was seen around its neck.

If he had to simplify it, Naruto would describe it as a gryphon with raven features.

The Hollow growled at him before rushing forward, intent on devouring the delicious spiritual energy before it. Naruto responded by diving to the side while forming a Clone, having it distract the Hollow as he leapt onto a rooftop and had Binding Threads reform itself into a pair of cloth gloves.

The Clone dodged a swipe of the Hollow's talons, retaliating with a punch to its masked face before the real Naruto dove in with an ice-covered fist that struck its chest. The blow sent the Hollow stumbling back while its chest fur froze and formed icy barbs that dug into its skin.

Furious, the Hollow set itself on all fours, its wings spread wide in intimidation as it screeched, sending forth a sonic cry that forced Naruto to cover his ears while his Clone dispelled. The sonic cry disoriented him enough for the Hollow to turn and strike him with its tail, whipping him across the chest and sending him flying through two buildings before he rolled to a stop with a painful groan.

"Fuck, that hurts…"

 **"Focus, brat! I'll deal with the damage, you just worry about taking that thing down!"**

Mentally nodding, Naruto let his reiatsu surge to its limit; the energy taking the shape of a grinning demonic face that floated over his body. The Hollow saw the aura and screeched out challengingly before it used its wings to launch into the air, moving to pounce atop Naruto's form.

Forming a Rasengan, Naruto mixed his reiatsu into it, changing it from azure blue to a vicious indigo with some frost leaking from it. He met the pounce with a powerful leap, sending his grinning aura ahead of him as a makeshift battering ram that stalled the Hollow enough for him to get a clean shot.

"Frostbite Rasengan!" he cried as the attack dug into the torso of the Hollow, grinding into the skin and leaving a burning layer of ice in its wake. It then dispelled in an expulsion of power, sending the Hollow back down to the earth with a booming crash. Still in the air, Naruto flipped his body around so that he could land a finishing blow. "I may have stolen this move from Tsunade-baa-chan, but here goes! Heaven Kick of Pain!"

His heel crashed into the mask of the Hollow, cracking it with the reiatsu surging from the hit before a portion of the mask surrounding the left eye broke away; revealing a red eye with three tomoe surrounding it.

Blue eyes widened at that as Naruto leapt back, staying in a ready stance in case the Hollow still had some fight in it. "Who are you?!" he ordered.

The visible eye looked hazy for a moment before the Hollow shook its head and the eye looked more focused. _"Y…You look like…"_ it spoke, the voice feminine in sound.

"Who are you?! I'm not going to ask again!"

The Sharingan eye studied the blonde before it widened in shock. _"Kushina… You look like Kushina!"_

His stance faltered at that, blue eyes wide once more in shock. "You knew my mom…?"

The Hollow nodded once before one of her talons reached up to her mask, tugging at it roughly before ripping it from her face. The action elicited a cry from the Hollow before Naruto saw a face he had only seen from the dreams of his mother's memories.

"…Mikoto?" he asked in surprise, seeing her paled face staring back at him with matured Sharingan eyes.

 _"Yes… That's my name. And yours is Naruto; Kushina's child."_

"How is this possible? Why didn't you pass on?"

Her eyes started to tear up at that, and she shook her head in denial. _"I couldn't! Not when I had so much to atone for! I let my eldest child shoulder the responsibilities and guilt of our clan while my youngest lost himself in his own darkness! I wasn't able to reach him, let him know that I was with him every night he came home since my death!"_

"Sasuke was too lost in thoughts of revenge to listen to anyone," Naruto softly explained, hoping to ease her guilt.

 _"That's just with my family that I need to atone for! There's still you that I need to make up for!"_

"Me…?"

She nodded as her tears fell. _"Kushina told me about you when she was pregnant, and I saw her on the day of your birth. She was my best friend; almost like a sister to me. And I allowed her child to grow up without anyone to help them; thinking that they were all alone in this miserable place."_

Mikoto had her Hollow body take a bowing position with her head near his feet as she wept.

 _"I'm so sorry! I should've done more for you! I-I could've invited you into our home, given you a family; SOMETHING! But I didn't, and I can never face my best friend knowing that I've failed her!"_ Her voice broke as she sobbed out, _"I'm sorry…"_

Naruto was reeling from the confession, his gaze a mix of pity and sadness as he looked down on her sobbing form. Lowering himself down on one knee, he reached down and had her raise her head from the ground, making her meet his gaze.

"Stop that," he stated firmly, his blue eyes hardening. "I don't want you drowning in your guilt anymore. Yes, I grew up without any support; but, I got by on my own and grew up into the man I am now. And while I appreciate you wanting to make up for things you never did, I don't want you tearing yourself apart over this."

 _"B-But I…"_ she tried to say through her tears.

"Hey," he cut off. "I forgive you for what you didn't do, Mikoto. You had your own family to worry about; so, I understand. Just stop blaming yourself and thinking my mom will hate you for this. You said it yourself: the two of you were like sisters; family. I may not have had one, but one thing I _do_ know about family is that they can forgive and move on; no matter what." He graced her with a warm smile and finished, "So, I forgive you in place of my mother. Okay?"

Mikoto stared deep into his blue eyes that reminded her so much of his parents, and she couldn't stop her flowing tears as she chuckled; feeling an immense weight lifted from her soul. This young man before her was so much like Kushina that it would be a crime to say he was the child of someone else.

 _"Thank you, Naruto…"_ she choked out gratefully.

He nodded once before he stood back up to his full height, Binding Threads once again reforming into a scarf. "Now, why don't we sit down and talk about what happened over the years on both our ends? I'd like to know what happened to you after Itachi killed your clan."

She nodded in acceptance to the offer, sitting like a cat while he sat on a piece of rubble. _"The first thing you need to understand, Naruto,_ _is that Itachi didn't kill off the Uchiha on some random whim."_

"What do you mean?"

 _"…He did it to prevent a coup d'état from the Uchiha Clan against the Hidden Leaf Village."_

* * *

When Naruto returned to his apartment just before sunrise, his mind was full of questions and concerns from what Mikoto had shared with him.

To think that the Uchiha felt so unwelcome in the village that they resorted to an attempt at a hostile takeover, and all because of the paranoia of the Second Hokage during his reign. It only proved that bad blood could span generations; even when that blood is beneath the shade of an alliance or treaty.

To make matters worse, Itachi should've been seen as a hero for his actions; though that would depend on who you ask if the truth were made public from the start. No doubt Itachi was full of remorse for his actions, forcing himself to shoulder his guilt and shame while posing as a traitor of the village Mikoto said he loved with all his heart.

It brought many questions on why he tried to convince Sasuke to embrace his hatred and hunt him down. Sure, killing Itachi would allow Sasuke some closure; but it would be one built upon a lie in Naruto's eyes. Sasuke would be unknowingly living a lie for his entire life, unable to see the truth unless someone told him.

And depending on _who_ told him, it would determine whether Sasuke returned to the Hidden Leaf with good or bad intentions. This only let Naruto see that Sasuke was a piece on some board he couldn't see yet; a part of some scheme that was still hidden from him.

 **"Best not to dwell on these thoughts, brat. They'll make you grow as paranoid as the Senju brat."**

Taking a breath to calm his raging thoughts, Naruto nodded to himself before he checked on his Clone and Nel. Seeing as she was still sound asleep, he dispelled the Clone before settling himself on the bed. As soon as he rested his body down, Nel scooted closer to him for his warmth and smiled in her sleep; which made him smile as well.

 _'So many questions and doubts have come up since my talk with Mikoto… I just hope that she doesn't relapse back towards her Hollow instincts.'_

 **"Just something else you'll need to figure out for later. For now, you should rest. I can heal wounds and physical exhaustion; but mental and spiritual exhaustion are beyond me."**

 _'Right… Thanks, Fox…'_

His gratitude was met with silence for a few moments, making him think the Kyuubi cut off their connection. Shrugging, he settled himself to sleep before a mental nudge caught his attention.

 **"…Kurama."**

 _'What's that?'_

 **"My name… Understand that I'm sharing this with you in confidence. You really want to show me that you're different from most humans; different from Madara and Hashirama who used us Bijuu and gave us away like tokens to prevent a war?"**

 _'Yes, I do.'_

 **"Then prove it to me. I'm entrusting you with my name, brat. I don't want my trust to go unfounded."**

Slowly, a grin came to Naruto's face as he replied, _'You go it, Kurama!'_

* * *

A few hours of sleep were broken when Naruto felt a weight settle on his chest. Cracking an eye open, he saw Nel sitting atop him with a bright smile on her face.

"Morning, Ruto!" she greeted excitedly.

He gave a slightly tired smile. "Morning… How long have you been up, Nel-chan?"

She took a cute thinking pose with her finger on her bottom lip. "Uh… Maybe five minutes?"

He chuckled at that, reaching up to pat her masked head before shifting his body so Nel got off him and he could sit up. He then started to stretch out any of the kinks he gained in his sleep.

"Nel had a weird dream last night, Ruto…"

"Oh? What about?"

"Nel was bigger," she began, making him pause in his stretches.

"Bigger?"

Nodding, she continued, "Nel was almost as big as Ruto, and Nel had a sword in her hands. There was this _really_ big guy that Nel was fighting, but then Nel felt dizzy before the big guy tried to hit Nel. Then, Nel woke up."

 _'Possible repressed memories from her attack,'_ Naruto mused, seeing Nel looking a little frustrated.

"Nel knows there's more…but Nel can't remember anything else from the dream, Ruto…"

"Hey, don't worry so much, Nel-chan," he reassured her, rubbing the top of her head. "Dreams are weird, sometimes. There are some we can remember, some we can't, and there are even some that can actually happen."

"Really?" she asked interestedly.

"Yep! I had a dream a little while ago where I was a girl," he began, earning a surprised look from the girl that made him chuckle. "I know, it was weird for me too. Anyway, in the dream, I was talking to another girl who was my best friend. She called me Kushina and I called her Mikoto, and we were almost like sisters."

"What happened?"

"Well, the girl I was, Kushina, was about to have a baby. She was talking to Mikoto about it, and the two girls both wished that their children would become friends; just like they were. And then, right when Kushina was about to have her baby…I woke up."

"Did that really happen though, Ruto?" Nel asked curiously.

"Yes, it did. Wanna know how I know?" At her nod, he smiled softly and touched his scarf. "Because Kushina is my mom's name…and I was the baby that she had."

Her hazel eyes widened in surprise at that before she grinned. "Ruto's mom must've been a really nice lady to have Ruto for a kid! Nel bets she was really pretty, too!"

He chuckled at that, feeling flattered for his mother. "Thanks, Nel-chan. Maybe someday I can show you what my mom looked like. But for now, let's go see Baa-chan. I need to ask her something."

"Okay!" Nel agreed as she followed Naruto to the door, waiting for him to holster his sword before jumping onto his back and climbing atop his shoulders. "Onward!" she cheered, getting another chuckle out the blonde Uzumaki as he locked up his apartment and headed for the Hokage Tower.

* * *

"I'm glad you came back this morning," Tsunade said after greeting Naruto and Nel. The duo was seated on the couch in her office while Kubikiribōchō was leaning against the wall. "I never got to tell you that I wanted you and Sakura to be tested by Kakashi sometime today. I told them that this afternoon would be best. That sound alright?"

"Works fine for me, baa-chan," he replied, making her relieved that he was using the nickname again.

She may despise how it teases her on her actual age; but it was also Naruto's term of endearment for her. And after their _talk_ yesterday, she was worried he may not be on the best of terms with her; despite them agreeing to start fresh.

"There was something else I wanted to talk to you about, Naruto. Jiraiya has expressed his concerns about you hiding things from him; something I believe he shouldn't be so worried about. Everyone is entitled to their own personal secrets."

He nodded in agreement.

"However, that doesn't mean that we don't worry about what those secrets could mean for you; whether they're good or bad. I'd like to know…why did Jiraiya think you were fighting invisible enemies back then?"

Naruto sighed at that while Nel looked concerned. "Can we talk about this later, Tsunade? I want to tell you, but I need to prepare myself for it since…it won't be easy for me to explain. Please understand…"

She saw how this was bothering him, so she offered him a gentle smile to ease his worries. "Of course. Why don't we talk later this evening? Will that be enough time?"

He nodded once. "That'll work. Just make sure your schedule is free since we'll have to leave the office."

Now, her curiosity was peaked; but, she said nothing more and simply nodded in agreement before dismissing him and Nel. Alone in her office, she then called out, "I want you to stay out of this, Jiraiya."

One of the windows opened and the Toad Sage climbed inside the office before taking a seat in the chair before her desk. "Why exactly shouldn't I be involved in this? He's my apprentice; I need to know what's going on with him."

"I won't repeat myself every time this discussion comes up. Naruto is entitled to his secrets and all I'll be asking him about are those invisible ninja or whatever you claim to have seen him fighting. I won't betray his trust when I've gotten him to give me a fresh start. If you are so concerned, why not just ask him without making it feel like his under interrogation? I doubt he has much trust in you now that he knows you've been spying on him."

The man was silent before he asked, "Did you know that there was damage to the Uchiha District last night? Or that Naruto was in the same area?"

She frowned at him. "I was made aware of the damages this morning, but not of Naruto's presence. What makes you think he'd just go and damage the place?"

"I'm not saying he did. I'm suggesting that whatever he's hiding may be the cause of the damage. I'm also suggesting that if he keeps hiding whatever secret he has, it could bring more damage or issues to the village."

"You seem to have no trouble labeling Naruto as some sort of root to a larger problem, Jiraiya," Tsunade mused as a heaviness began to build inside the office.

"I'm just going off of the facts and what my scouts have reported to me."

"Well, as your _Hokage_ , I'm ordering you to stop spying on Naruto. I won't have him questioning whether he can be trusted or not and be tempted to leave this place. He doesn't deserve that after _everything_ he has done and lost for this village. Am I understood?"

"…You're making a mistake with this order, _Lady Hokage_."

"We'll see. Now, get the hell out of my office and out of my sight."

* * *

Naruto stood beside Sakura, the duo facing their sensei as he stood casually with his hands in his pockets. He had just explained to them that the test would be exactly the same as the one they took to become Genin; the Bell Test. Just like before, they were instructed to come at the man with the intent to kill; saying that he wouldn't be taking it so easy on them this time around.

To Naruto's disappointment, he didn't feel ready to use Kubikiribōchō for this test since he didn't have any basics in kenjutsu; let alone practice with a blade that size. So, he stabbed it into the ground behind him while Binding Threads changed into fingerless gloves.

"Go Ruto!" he heard Nel cheer, turning to see that she was seated in Tsunade's lap as the woman sat in a tree with Shizune. He also sensed Jiraiya sitting in a different tree, and he knew that the man would be paying _close_ attention to this test.

"Thanks, Nel-chan!" he returned cheerfully rolling his shoulders to remove any lingering kinks.

"You sure it was a good idea to bring her, Naruto?" Sakura asked as she put on her own gloves and cracked her knuckles.

"She'll be fine. It's not like she'll be caught in the crossfire," he waved off as the two watched Kakashi reveal his Sharingan eye to them. "Well, didn't think you were gonna be _this_ serious, sensei."

"I don't want to take any chances with you two. So, shall we begin?" the man replied.

("Training Field" from Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 OST)

Naruto grinned before he vanished in a burst of speed, blurring into view with a fist nearing Kakashi's face. The man saw it coming and slapped it aside before he retaliated with a spinning kick that Naruto blocked with his shin, riding out the blow to get some distance while hurling two handfuls of shuriken at the man.

The Jonin whipped out a kunai and blocked the ninja stars before he rolled and leapt away from Sakura, who came in from above and struck the ground with her fist. The blow was devastating, and Tsunade smirked proudly at her student while Nel cried out in amazement.

Naruto winced at that, remembering all the punches Sakura gave him when he was younger. He shook off the memories before creating a Shadow Clone that quickly went through handseals while Naruto rushed forward.

"Wind Style: Drilling Air Bullet!" the Clone cried, slamming its gut to expel air that solidified into a drilling force, flying over Naruto's form before curving towards Kakashi.

"Earth Style: Mud Wall!" the man countered, raising up a solid slab of earth to intercept the wind attack. He was caught by surprise when the wall cracked dangerously from the blow, showing the level of chakra Naruto threw into the jutsu.

The real Naruto leapt over the wall, a small Rasengan in hand that he covered in a shell of Wind Chakra. He then surprised everyone when he threw it like a ball, sending it hurtling towards the Jonin with great speed.

The man blurred through handseals before sinking into the ground, just before the Rasengan impacted the earth and created a crater big enough to create an outdoor onsen. As soon as he landed, Naruto leapt up once more, barely avoiding a pair of hands that were aiming to drag him under.

"Sakura, the ground!" he yelled, just in time for her to punch the ground with another burst of strength.

The attack spread forward, breaking apart and caving in the ground while Kakashi leapt away to avoid being crushed. The man gave a sigh of relief before he blurred through more seals and leapt onto the lake of the training field.

"Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!" he declared, having the water around him take a serpentine shape that roared before flying toward his students.

Naruto formed another Rasengan, this one regular size, that he used to shield himself and Sakura from the jutsu. The spinning orb of chakra shredded away the water before Naruto unsealed a shuriken that was almost his size and launched it at Kakashi.

The man was already running towards them after he launched his jutsu, and he slid beneath the large shuriken before he was forced to us Substitution with a log, avoiding a powerful leg drop from the revealed Clone of Naruto; who had used Transformation beforehand and was sealed away.

"Damn!" Naruto cursed, using his reiatsu to try and feel Kakashi's spiritual energy. Seeing as chakra was a blend of physical and spiritual energies, Naruto had developed his own to be able to feel out other people. "Sakura, 6 o'clock!" he cried, launching a salvo of shuriken with her before he flew through handseals. "Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

A handful became dozens before multiplying again into hundreds that tore into the tree that Kakashi was hiding behind. He weaved and deflected his way out of the hailstorm of metal before blurring through handseals again, ending with the Tiger Seal.

"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"

A massive, building sized sphere of flames erupted from his mouth before barreling towards them. Naruto cursed before he gathered his reiatsu, his blue eyes gaining white rings within.

"Sakura, get behind me!" he ordered, and she complied before Naruto formed a third Rasengan. Like how he did against Mikoto, he put in his reiatsu and it changed color while letting out a frosty mist. Meeting the Fireball, Naruto thrust his Frostbite Rasengan into the flames that quickly cooled them down before it burst apart into a flurry of snowflakes.

Kakashi's eyes widened alongside everyone else's, giving Naruto the opportunity to summon his Sealing Chains and burrow them into the ground. He then raced for Kakashi, making it look like he was going for a frontal assault. Kakashi's Sharingan caught a blurred image of something coming from Naruto and digging through the ground, but he met Naruto's charge regardless.

His negligence for caution costed him, as the chains broke through the ground and trapped him by his ankle as Naruto went for a clothesline laced with chakra. The force of the blow knocked all the air out of Kakashi's lungs as it sent him flying back and crashing into a tree.

Dazed and out of breath, he was caught by ninja wire that wrapped him to the tree while Naruto appeared with a kunai to his jugular and Sakura with another to his heart while her other hand grabbed the bells.

(End Music)

"That's the end, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto declared with a grin as his spiritual energy faded and his eyes lost their white rings.

Kakashi's Sharingan caught this, however, and he made a mental note to ask Naruto about it; as well as the sudden use of Ice Style chakra.

But, he knew that could wait in favor of giving his two students his signature eye-smile while saying, "I guess it is. Nice work, you two. You showed good teamwork and personal skill for this test and had me on my toes a few times throughout. I declare this test a Pass."

Naruto gave an excited shout while Nel flew into him with a hug tat actually knocked him over, the duo laughing on the ground while Tsunade placed her hand on Sakura's shoulder with a proud smile. Kakashi was released from his bindings and Shizune looked him over for any lingering wounds.

"Nice job," Tsunade declared. "You two have really shown what these past few years have offered you. As of now, this three-man group will be known as Team Kakashi, and Naruto will be promoted to the rank of Chunin. With your talent and skillset, leaving you a Genin is just foolish."

"Thanks, Baa-chan," the Uzumaki said while holding Nel atop his shoulders. "So, what exactly will Team Kakashi be used for?"

"I'll be sending you three on higher risk missions after taking this test into consideration. However, my main goal is to have the three of you prepared to tackle the Akatsuki in case you run into them; which is highly likely considering your status, Naruto."

He nodded in understanding while Sakura looked to him sadly. "Hey, none of that, Sakura. It happened when I was born, and I've made my peace with it. Besides, I can always use the Fox's chakra to keep my friends and home safe."

 **"Watch how you phrase such things, boy. I don't appreciate being** _ **used**_ **."**

 _'Right. Sorry, Kurama…'_

"I… I know that, Naruto. It's just…" the pinkette tried to say, but he held up a hand to stop her.

"If you're going to try and apologize for anything, then don't. Whatever you think you need to be sorry for was forgiven a long time ago. Let's just focus on being the best team we can be, okay?"

She slowly smiled back at him and nodded. "Right!"

"At any rate, all of you are dismissed for the day. Kakashi, after Shizune heals you up, I want a report on how you feel this test went," Tsunade ordered.

"Yes, ma'am," the Jonin replied, sitting still as Shizune kept healing his wounds.

Sharing a look with Naruto, the Hokage left for her office. Along the way, she caught Jiraiya's eye and the two held a silent tension before the man disappeared in a Body Flicker. A groan escaped her lips, and she was quickly feeling the need for a stiff drink.

* * *

Late in the evening, Naruto was seen leading Tsunade away from the village and through some woodland before revealing a rundown shrine to the woman. "Here we are," he announced, walking into the clearing and smiling at Mito's spirit while she looked surprised at Tsunade's presence.

Tsunade didn't see Mito – not that they expected her to – and looked to the damaged and moss-covered building bearing the symbol of her grandmother's clan. "Why bring me here, Naruto?"

"I wanted to show you where it all started for me; where the secrets started," he answered. "I never told anyone this, Tsunade. So, please try to keep an open mind about what I'm about to say."

"Alright," she answered, agreeing to the request. "What is it you've been keeping a secret?"

Taking a breath, Naruto looked her dead in the eye, showing her the white rings in his azure orbs. "I can see and speak with spirits…and the one that taught me practically everything I know about my mother and the Uzumaki Clan was the spirit of Mito Uzumaki."

Tsunade's eyes widened at that, and she knew then and there that this would be a _long_ talk.

* * *

 **That's that! Chapter Four is finished!**

 **So, how'd I do? Was the reveal of Mikoto good? What'd you guys thing of her Hollow form or how the Bell Test went?**

 **What about Naruto's future talk with Tsunade? How do you think THAT will go?**

 **And what about Nel? Will Naruto find a way to help restore her power? Will revealing the truth to Tsunade be the final key to unlock Neliel forever?**

 **One last thing! I'm calling out to any artistic people out there! I'm requesting pictures for three different images, if you'd be so kind!**

 **The first is Naruto and Nel, preferably with Nel on his shoulders with them both grinning.**

 **Second is Naruto and Neliel, both of them in serious stances with their swords and Naruto's Fullbring on display.**

 **Lastly is Naruto with Mito's spirit on one side and Mikoto's Hollow form on the other.**

 **I'd REALLY like to see these pictures made! I'm willing to part with juicy story spoilers in exchange!**

 **Until next time!**

 _ **~pain17ification~**_


	5. Chapter 5: Trying to Heal

**Before I start, I wanted you guys to know that I have a new crossover story out featuring Naruto and Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid. I've been on a kick of watching clips from the series (enough to order the Blu-ray for the series), and I decided to write a story.**

 **Please check it out!**

 **Now, on with the update!**

 **I, Raymond Smith, own nothing**

* * *

 _Hollow_

 _Chapter 5: Trying to Heal_

* * *

"That's impossible, Naruto," Tsunade spoke up, sitting across from Naruto on the grass beneath them. Unknown to her, Mito was standing behind him. "My grandmother's been dead for many years. She should've moved onto the Pure World by now."

"She couldn't leave, though," Naruto calmly replied, those his eyes were downcast. "She felt it was her responsibility to take care of this place."

He gestured to the Mask Storage Temple in the clearing.

"The Uzumaki were meant to watch over this place, guarding it from anyone who would seek to misuse the mask within. Since no other Uzumaki knew of its existence since they're defeat and near genocide, Mito-sensei believed it was her duty to carry on the responsibility."

"But, Naruto… That doesn't make any sense."

"It does if you have the right perspective," the blonde Uzumaki fired back with a smile. "The spirits I see are only able to be seen if someone has been around a tremendous amount of spiritual energy. My father summoned Death to help seal the Kyuubi, and my infant self became exposed to the Yin Energy that he was giving out unconsciously. Because of that, I can see the spirits of those who have passed on; including Mito-sensei."

Tsunade sat there quietly, taking in everything her brat had explained to her. A part of her saw the logic in his words, and the overexposure to Yin Energy made sense regarding seeing these spirits.

"Still… I can't fully believe you unless you can somehow prove it." Here, she became slightly apprehensive. "Is there a way you can let me see her…?"

"I think so. You're a healer, and they need intensive training in Yin Energy since it's used for healing ninjutsu. Plus, I can feel the Yin Energy that your diamond mark is holding back," he revealed, pointing towards her forehead. "I think if I expose you to enough of my reiatsu, you should, theoretically, be able to see Mito-sensei. If not…there's another method; but it's risky."

"Risky how?"

"I'd rather not say unless I really need to use it."

"You did it to yourself, didn't you?" she accused with a straight face, making him rub his head sheepishly.

 **"I still say you're an idiot for trying that…"** Kurama muttered.

 _"I'll be sure to scold you for that later,"_ Mito added, making Naruto moan in despair.

"Well, let's get on with it, then," Tsunade spoke up, prompting a nod from Naruto before he got to his feet and moved behind the woman. "What do you need me to do?"

"To relax and not react. Reiatsu feels different to chakra; almost airy in a sense. I don't want your chakra to fight it off since it will hinder the process."

"Understood," she replied, taking a breath to relax herself as Naruto placed his hands on her shoulders.

At first, she felt nothing but the warmth of his palms against her clothed skin. But then, she felt something small that started to grow within her. The foreign feeling nearly made her react, but she fought down her instinctual need to expunge the foreign energy and willed her chakra to accept his reiatsu.

"Okay, do you feel anything yet?" she heard Naruto ask.

"Yes, and you were right on the airiness of the energy. It was a fitting description."

"Great. I'm going to increase the rate of my output. Try to relax and look straight ahead where Mito-sensei is sitting."

She fought the urge to roll her eyes, still not entirely sure he was telling the truth. But she listened to his instructions and sat calmly while looking at the space before her. The flow of his reiatsu also increased, and she felt it rush through her body while a haze began to form in front of her eyes.

"What…?"

"Hang on," Naruto urged.

More reiatsu came, and the haziness started to form a shape before the space was filled with details she was once familiar with. Within moments, the space before her showed her late grandmother; though she looked transparent and had some strange chain connecting her body to the Mask Storage Temple.

"…Grandmother?" she asked softly in shock, earning a smile from the Uzumaki woman.

 _"My little Tsuna…"_ Mito replied warmly.

Tsunade got to her feet just as Mito did, unaware of Naruto backing away to give them space. After a moment, the Hokage walked forward with misty eyes with her hand out to touch Mito's cheek. To her joy, she felt the cool touch of her grandmother's spiritual skin, and her tears started to roll down as she gave a weak laugh; but nowhere weak enough to dampen her joy at seeing someone she lost so long ago.

Naruto watched the two women reunite with a soft smile, feeling pleased at helping someone he cared about be happy once more. Deciding to give them more space, he backed away and headed inside the temple. As soon as he entered, he saw that it was just a large singular room with a wall filled with masks.

 **"Well, no wonder the Uzumaki wanted to keep this place protected…"**

 _'What do you mean?'_

 **"You mean you don't feel it? One of these masks reeks of Death."**

Taking a moment, Naruto felt the restrained spiritual energy coming from one of the masks. He stepped up to the wall, staring at the face of the mask as it seemingly looked down upon him from its position on the wall.

"A mask that summons Death… Yeah, that's not a magnet for theft or misuse," he blandly noted.

 **"There's got to be a price to pay. It probably acts the same as the** **Dead Demon Consuming Seal** **where it summons an avatar of Death and the price is your soul."**

"So…it can be used by someone without knowing the handseals to perform the jutsu. That's honestly pretty scary, and it makes me wonder why the Uzumaki made the mask."

 _"The mask was made by a foolish clansman from my generation,"_ Mito spoke up from the doorway, prompting Naruto to turn around and see both her and Tsunade looking to him.

"But why…?"

 _"He wanted to pull one over on Death, giving it a permanent link to the mortal plane so that it would never be free from being summoned by mortals,"_ she explained. _"As I said, he was foolish; but he was a successful fool."_

"So, you're staying to keep the mask from being misused," Tsunade asked.

 _"Yes. I can't ask you or Naruto-kun to do so since you both are important parts of the village. You wouldn't be able to devote your time to watching over this place. And I wouldn't trust anyone other than an Uzumaki to watch this place."_

"Which means I shouldn't try to assign ANBU to this place," the Hokage summarized.

"Probably wouldn't be the best idea," Naruto agreed.

 _"I concur. Besides, I don't mind shouldering this responsibility since it was that choice that allowed me to teach a promising young Uzumaki,"_ Naruto blushed bashfully, _"and allowed me to reunite with my beloved granddaughter,"_ Tsunade smiled.

"I suppose looking for the silver linings isn't always hard," Tsunade agreed. She then turned to Naruto and continued, "That girl, Nel… She's related to this somehow, isn't she?"

He nodded once. "Her spiritual energy has been damaged and twisted, resulting in her being stuck in a child state. She's actually a fully-grown adult, and I've been working on restoring her power so that she could return to her true form permanently."

"How can I help?"

 _"Naruto-kun has been providing Neliel-san with his own spiritual energy, slightly restoring the natural flow of her reiatsu each time. It's a slow process, but he's been working on it."_

"Neliel…?" Tsunade repeated.

"That's her true name; Neliel Tu Oderschvank. Trust me when I say that she's a victim here, Tsunade. She was ambushed by one of her own people, and the ambush led to her damaged spiritual energy and her arrival here in the Elemental Nations. She doesn't even know if her friends and subordinates survived the ambush since they were just bait for her."

"And what do you plan to do after you restore her back to her true form?"

"What else? Anything I can. I care about her; both as Nel and as Neliel. If she wants to try and return to where she came from, then I'll do whatever I can to help her get there."

"And if she asks you to go with her?" Tsunade challenged calmly, making him pause.

"I… If I can come back, then I'd definitely try," he answered honestly.

She smiled and shook her head at his response. "I swear, you're far too good for the life a ninja, Naruto. I doubt anyone else would've answered like that unless they planned to come back for other means. But you…"

 _"You would come back simply because you know that there's still people who care about you here, and that there's unfinished business here in this world,"_ Mito finished with her own smile. _"You seek to only do good by others, regardless of whether it will work out for you in the end or not."_

"I just feel that, if I can help people, I should at least try. I grew up without much help, but I always cherished those that _did_ help me. It might be selfish, but I want to be remembered by others; even if it's simply for helping them."

 _ **'** **Idiot… That's not selfish,'**_ Kurama mused to himself, smirking as he was reminded of the one man he respected.

"Brat… That's not a selfish desire. It just further proves my point," Tsunade spoke up while Mito nodded.

 _"Never lose that mentality, child. Most ninja are remembered for the exploits in battle or contributions to the ninja world. However, few are as well respected as those who only sought to help others. There are heroes and legends in this world, and where heroes are remembered, legends never die."_

"Legends never die…" he repeated softly before grinning. "I like that… I'll go down as a legend that never dies, ttebayo."

The two women chuckled at his declaration while Kurama hummed to himself. _**'You may not know it yet, but you're on your way to that goal, kid…'**_

* * *

Back in Tsunade's office, Naruto was seated across from her as he finished explaining how Mito wasn't the only spirit he had encountered in the Hidden Leaf.

"Mikoto's still around?"

"Yeah. Although, she's what's referred to as a Hollow; which is what happens when a spirit with regrets or some other negative feelings has the spiritual chain withered away. They are often viewed as monsters since they look like them. I mean, Mikoto looked like some raven-gryphon hybrid thing when I fought her; but she was able to regain control over herself."

"What do you mean?"

"Hollows are given a bad rep because they act only on their baser desire to eat other souls; all in the hope of filling up the emptiness they feel in their own souls. It's why they're called Hollows, because of that emptiness."

"And you snapped Mikoto out of her instinctive actions?"

"I damaged her mask and revealed a part of her human face beneath. When she noticed me, she snapped out of it since I reminded her of kaa-chan."

"And those memories helped her regain her sanity," Tsunade finished.

"Yeah, but I'll need to check on her periodically so that she doesn't relapse," Naruto informed.

"But what about Nel? She has a mask too. Is she a Hollow?"

"Yes, but she's an evolved form that has grown beyond the baser instincts. She referred to herself as an Arrancar and an Espada; though the second one sounded more like a position than an actual label. Kinda like how I'm a Chunin by position, but a human by race."

"I got it. So, you need time here and there to visit Mikoto?"

"I'd appreciate it," he replied with an apologetic smile.

"No, it's fine. Sensei's old advisors just came to me about holding you back from outside missions considering the Akatsuki threat and your status." She saw that he looked annoyed at that, and she gave him a sympathetic glance. "I told them that you wouldn't be a fan of that, and how effective you were during Kakashi's test. I can't afford to hold you back when you can be more useful on missions outside of the village."

"I can go out, but I may send a Clone back or even leave one behind just to keep an eye on Mikoto. I want her to be well-enough in case I run into Sasuke. I'm sure he'd like to know that she's not completely gone."

"You do know that if your team brings him back, he more than likely won't be reinstated as a ninja and will be charged as a criminal, right?"

"Yeah… I figured that much during the trip with Pervy Sage. I still want to let him see her again, as well as keep my promise to Sakura."

"Naruto…"

"I know that it's a stupid reason, but it's part of my nindo. I never go back on my word, and I gave Sakura my word-"

"As a child," she cut off. "Not to mention that you and the others were in an intense situation that she shouldn't have slowed down. You all couldn't have afforded to be held back like that; especially by an emotional girl too caught up in a boy to do anything."

Naruto was silent at that, letting the woman vent.

"Look, what happened is in the past; but it doesn't change how I feel about this promise you seem so dead set on fulfilling. It's unfair to you if she keeps expecting you to adhere to it above anything else; like your own future. What if you have a family and there's a chance to capture Sasuke? Will she expect you to drop everything for that promise, knowing that there could a chance that you'll die trying?"

"I'm not going to drop everything for my promise, Tsunade. If I get word of Sasuke, I'll only act if the chances are in my favor. If I'm already on a mission or something else is happening, it's not like I'll prioritize him over it all. I know better."

The two stared at one another before Tsunade leaned back in her chair with a nod. "Alright then. It's late, and I'm guessing Nel is probably wondering where you are."

"Nah, I left a Clone with her. She's most likely asleep now."

"Regardless, go home and get some rest. Bring Nel to me tomorrow and I'll see if I can do anything to help her condition. Is she aware of anything?"

"No. She's been having dreams, but I know that they're her memories of her true self. I don't have it in me to tell her that the life she's living now isn't a true one…"

Tsunade saw that he looked truly troubled about that, keeping such a thing silent from the child it pertained to. "You're doing what you can, Naruto. Try not to let this weigh you down. Nel is happy with you, and I'm sure that Neliel appreciates everything you're doing."

"Yeah… But I still feel bad. I've never liked lying to anyone, and here I am doing it to someone I care about. It makes me feel like I'm also lying to myself."

"I know. Trust me, I've been where you are now; trying to keep a lie from someone I loved because I believed it would keep them safe. Sometimes, it's the right thing to do; even if we feel horrible going through it. Just keep pushing on, okay?"

He nodded and gave her a thankful smile before excusing himself, heading home for the night.

* * *

"Why are we here, Ruto?" Nel asked, sitting on the blonde Uzumaki's lap in a hospital room.

"Baa-chan is a doctor and she wanted to take a closer look at the crack you have in your mask," Naruto answered. "She wants to see if she can do anything to fix it."

"It can be fixed?"

"That's what we're going to try and find out."

"Oh." She was silent after that, kicking her legs in boredom as the duo awaited the Sannin. "Nel had another dream, Ruto. She was big again in that dream, but she had four legs instead of two."

"Four legs?" he repeated in interest. "Did you have a tail too?"

"Yeah! It was full of hairs, and Nel's lower body was big! Someone could've sat on Nel's back!"

"Did you have toes?"

She shook her head with a negative hum. "Mm-mn. Nel's feet were hard and dark."

 _'Hmm… Any ideas, Kurama?'_

 **"Sounds equine in look,"** he answered before he caught Naruto's confusion. **"Horse-like…"**

 _'Oh… Why didn't you just say that?'_

The fox grumbled incoherently before going silent.

"Sounds like you had horse legs or something," Naruto informed Nel.

"Horse…?" she repeated in confusion.

Instead of answering verbally, Naruto made a Clone and had it transform into a small horse so that it wouldn't damage anything. "Like that."

Nel looked at the legs and body before nodding in agreement. "Yeah, Nel's legs and lower body looked like that!"

 _'So, some sort of centaur looking thing… Man, I'm so glad I read all those fantasy and mythological books when I was a kid.'_

The Clone disappeared just in time for Tsunade to open the door and step inside with Shizune. "Sorry for the wait. I was speaking with the other doctors about priorities today."

"No worries," Naruto waved off, lifting up Nel and setting her on the examination bed. "Okay Nel, I want you to stay calm and let baa-chan take a look at you. I'll be here with you the whole time, okay?"

She nodded once, and the blonde stepped back to give the two medic kunoichi some room. It felt like hours had passed to him as they looked over her mask, the crack it had, and the energy it was giving off. He was proud to see Nel staying calm through it all; nothing like how he would've been acting given his _history_ with hospitals.

He chuckled quietly at the memory of Tsunade trying to give him some immunization shots. He'd admit that he was a terror that day.

After they were finished, Tsunade had Shizune take their findings for further inspection with other medics while she stayed behind with Naruto and Nel. "Well, the good news is that I believe I can try to fix her crack."

"But…?" Naruto pressed.

"But I want to try and study our findings first before I try anything. If I just acted without looking over our data, I could actually make the crack worse. Something like this needs to be handled carefully."

He nodded in understanding. "So, what should we do until-?"

A messenger Chunin rushing by stopped him, for the man looked almost panicked. "Lady Hokage! Urgent message from the Hidden Sand!"

"The Sand?" both blondes repeated in surprise before the Hokage took the scroll and opened it, speed reading through the message.

"Dammit… I thought Jiraiya told me that they wouldn't act for at least _three_ years…"

"What happened?" Naruto asked in concern.

"Gaara, the Kazekage, has been defeated and abducted by the Akatsuki, and his brother, Kankuro, is in critical condition by means of poison."

"Gaara?! We have to go help him!"

"And you will," she assured before calling out one of her ANBU. "Fetch Kakashi and Sakura and tell them to meet me in my office for an urgent A-Rank Mission."

"Right away!" the ANBU replied before they faded away.

"Naruto," she continued, "I'll keep an eye on Nel while you're away on this mission; but leave a Clone to handle your _other_ assignment."

He nodded and had a Clone form right next to him before it took off for the Uchiha Compound. "Nel, I want you to stay close to baa-chan while I'm gone. Okay?"

"Wait! Why is Ruto going?" she asked worriedly.

"Because I have to go and help Gaara. He was taken by some bad people, and I'm going to go and get him back."

"Nel wants to go too!"

"I want to take you, but I can't… This is really important, and I don't want you to be in danger while I try to fight these bad guys."

She pouted and crossed her arms. "Nel wants to go too! Nel want to help Ruto save Sandy! Ruto told me that friends help others, no matter what!"

He winced. "That's true, but-"

"Ruto also said that family does the same thing for family, and Ruto is Nel's family! So, Nel will help Ruto!" she declared with finality, complete with a firm nod.

He was touched that she referred to him as family, and at how she took his teachings to heart. "Nel… I'm just worried about you…"

"And Nel is gonna worry about Ruto!" she fired back. "If Ruto leaves Nel, Nel will chase after Ruto and hit him for leaving Nel!"

He sweatdropped at that while Tsunade fought a chuckle. She saw him turn to her for help, and she smirked. "She's made her decision. Besides, if anything else, you could always have her _help_."

"Yeah! Nel will be a big help!" the little Arrancar assured him, giving the whiskered blonde a pleading face.

Naruto sighed in defeat at that. "Fine… But you stay with me at all times until I say otherwise. Got it?"

"Yes! Nel will stay super close to Ruto! Nel promises!"

He sighed again, but this time with a faint smile as he rubbed the top of her head. "What am I gonna do with you…?"

Tsunade smiled at the moment, finding their interactions to be perfectly equivalent to a worried older brother and a stubborn, yet determined, younger sister.

 _'Makes me wonder how it changes when she's an adult,'_ she mused, honestly curious about how Naruto's behavior changes when Nel becomes Neliel. "Naruto, I'll take Nel to my office and have you meet us all there. Gather your gear."

He nodded and gave Nel's head one last pat before he vanished in a burst of smoke. When he rejoined them, it was in Tsunade's office with Kakashi and Sakura already there and ready to go.

"I'll be brief since this is a timely concern. Gaara was taken by Akatsuki and Kankuro is in critical condition due to a poison made by Sasori of the Red Sands. His accomplice is a blonde ninja with a slashed Hidden Stone headband and an expert in explosives. We don't have much else information on him except that his explosives take the shape of clay animals that can move freely before detonating on his command. Your mission, Team Kakashi, is to assist in restoring Kankuro's health while also pursuing the Akatsuki and retrieving the Kazekage."

"Yes, ma'am," Team Kakashi replied, with Nel standing beside Naruto and giving an adorable salute before she jumped onto Naruto's back, clinging to his shoulder.

Sakura noticed this and asked, "She's not really coming with…is she?"

"I'm allowing it. There's more to Nel than you and Kakashi know, and I'm leaving it up to Naruto to explain if he wants. Don't push him into answering if he doesn't want to. Nel will be his responsibility."

"But-!"

"Understood, Lady Hokage," Kakashi cut off, giving Sakura a side glance with his visible eye. "We'll leave immediately."

"Try to inform Temari if you spot her. She left for the Hidden Sand this morning, so she more than likely doesn't know what's happened. Inform her and escort her back home."

The ninja nodded before they, plus their tag-along, left for the main gates. They didn't stop when they reached them, blazing passed the gates and rushing through the trees towards the direction of the Hidden Sand.

Naruto's blue eyes hardened as he leapt across the branches, white rings forming in their azure depths as he clenched his fist. _'Akatsuki…'_

 **"We knew this was going to happen eventually. We'll be ready for them when the time comes,"** Kurama assured him.

 _'Yeah… Hang on, Gaara. We're coming for you!'_

Unknown to him, his unconscious gathering of reiatsu started to leak into Nel, and her hazel orbs gained a similar white ring to his own as she clung to his back.

* * *

 **Finished! Slightly shorter than previous chapters, but I think it's enough for now.**

 **Next time will have the Kazekage Rescue Arc, and Naruto will have an interesting interaction with Itachi during the mission.**

 **Will he tell the man that Mikoto is alive in a sense? Will he question him about his mission? And what will happen to Nel during the mission?**

 **Will Neliel make another reveal, this time before the Akatsuki?**

 **Stay tuned to find out! Also, please check out my Naruto/Lucoa idea titled:** **A Fishcake and His Dragon** **! I hope you all like it!**

 **Until next time!**

 _ **~pain17ification~**_


	6. Chapter 6: Rescue Mission

**I, Raymond Smith, own nothing**

* * *

 _Hollow_

 _Chapter 6: Rescue Mission_

* * *

Having caught up with Temari and gone full speed to the Hidden Sand, Team Kakashi was held back from looking for a trail by Sakura assisting the medical team in removing the fatal poison that Kankuro had been struck with by an Akatsuki member by the name of Sasori of the Red Sands. He was a puppeteer prodigy unlike any the Hidden Sand ever produced before.

Rumors said that he had taken down an entire country with his Red Secret Techniques.

One of the village elders, Chiyo, had mistaken Kakashi for the man's father upon their arrival, and she had tried to kill him out of vengeance for the lives the man took in the previous Great Ninja War. Once being informed of her mistake, she played it off as a mere "joke from an old woman". Nobody was convinced, but they didn't say anything.

Currently, Naruto and Nel were looking around the village gate that Kankuro had chased down the Akatsuki that had taken Gaara. His Shigan (Death Eye) was active as he observed the lingering Yin Energy in the area.

Since spiritual energy was a half of chakra, Naruto took some time to investigate what many theorized made chakra. While it was obvious to many that chakra was a mix of physical and spiritual energies, Naruto dug deeper in what that definition really meant. Based on what he had read, and what he had heard from Mito, Naruto deduced that the physical side of chakra was Yang Energy; the energy of life and vitality. Meanwhile, Yin Energy was the energy of the spirit or soul; some even saying it was linked to Death.

So, he had given his enhanced eyes a name; Shigan. He felt the name fit, seeing as they were related to his abilities surrounding those who had died.

"Three different sources of Yin Energy," Naruto muttered with Nel on his shoulder, deactivating his Shigan. "Can you feel anything, Nel-chan?"

"Sandy's power feels weak, Ruto…" she answered solemnly.

"Yeah, I noticed that…" He frowned at having to wait for his teammates. Of course, he was worried about Kankuro surviving the poisoning; but the longer they took, the further Akatsuki got with Gaara.

And the smaller their chances of recovering him before it was too late.

He was broken from his thoughts by Kakashi arriving. "Kankuro's going to make a full recovery. Lady Tsunade really made sure Sakura knew her stuff," the Jonin informed his blonde student.

"Great," the Uzumaki replied earnestly. "Glad to hear that. So, are we ready to get going? You've got a scent for Pakkun to follow, right?"

"Yes, but we need to wait for Sakura to finish up. Plus, we still don't know if Temari is coming with us." He gave his student an appraising glance and added, "Also, don't try and pretend that you haven't spotted a trail yourself."

"What do you mean?"

"During the test, I saw your eyes change slightly, and they had that same look a couple times during our rush here to the Sand. You've spotted something, haven't you?"

"…Three different sources of energy leaving a trail. One of them is really weak; which makes that Gaara's energy."

Kakashi nodded in understanding. "So…how long have you had those eyes?"

"Not long. It was a bit before we started to head back home that I discovered them," Naruto answered truthfully, being slightly vague in his response. "It was when I discovered something else that my eyes changed into this."

Demonstrating the Shigan for Kakashi, he let the man see the rings of white fire that surrounded his pupils and enhanced the blues of his irises.

"I call them the Shigan, because they focus on the Yin side of chakra," the Uzumaki explained.

"Interesting. I'll be interested in how far you take this new dōjutsu of yours."

"Ruto's eyes look super cool like that!" Nel chimed in excitedly, earning a warm chuckle from Naruto.

"I think your eyes are way cooler than mine, Nel-chan," he replied, making the girl turn embarrassed at the compliment before hugging the Uzumaki.

As the two laughed and had their moment, Kakashi observed in silence and smiled behind his mask at seeing his old student relax; as if Nel had helped clear away any stress that he was feeling about the mission at hand. He also noted that Naruto was behaving like a loving and supportive older brother for Nel, who was obviously taking the role of the excitable and impressionable little sister.

Although, there was something else the Jonin saw in Naruto's gaze; an emotion he couldn't quite place.

It wasn't much later until Sakura rejoined them, but the village's elder, Lady Chiyo, had accompanied her. When asked why she wished to join, she mentioned Sasori being her grandchild and how she felt responsible for his actions as a criminal.

She sought repentance for her failures, which Naruto had seen before in Zabuza's eyes when he was a younger Genin. When the Uzumaki had called out the Demon of the Mist on how he seemingly disregarded Haku sacrificing herself for him.

Seeing that same desire for repentance fueling the elderly woman, Naruto didn't have the heart to deny her joining them; even if it wasn't ultimately up to him. Thankfully, Kakashi had agreed to let Lady Chiyo join them, and the group of five took off.

* * *

 _"Do you think you'll really run into Itachi on this mission, Clone-san?"_ Mikoto asked the Clone that Naruto had left to keep her company.

"Boss knows that Itachi is a member of Akatsuki; and with them after the Jinchūriki, there's a good chance that they'll run into one another. If nothing else, Itachi will try to stop Boss and the others from reaching Gaara," the Clone answered.

 _"I see… Will Naruto-kun tell Itachi about my survival?"_

"Do you want him to, Mikoto-san?"

 _"Part of me doesn't… When Itachi killed me and Fugaku, we accepted it and told him that we were proud of him for all that he had endured. I feel that telling him that I'm alive in a sense will diminish the integrity of our words to him."_

"But at the same time…you want to see him again," the Clone deduced, earning a solemn nod from the Hollow. "Maybe he should know the truth. It could give you a chance to talk to him again; to put everything out there so that there's no regrets or things you wish you could've said."

 _"Would you give Sasuke the same opportunity, after all he's done against the village and against you?"_

"…Yes," the Clone answered after a brief pause. "Sasuke doesn't know that he's just a piece on a board, with someone else influencing his movements. He deserves the chance to break away from that influence and make his own choices." He smiled at her and finished, "I think seeing you again, and having a real chance to talk to you, will be what pulls him away from this path he's been pushed towards."

Mikoto gave a grateful smile to the Clone and nodded once. _"Please have Naruto-kun tell Itachi the truth. I want to see my son again…"_

He nodded in return, forming a quick Shadow Clone of his own before dispelling it instantly. "Boss should get the message."

* * *

Naruto's brows furrowed for a brief moment as the memories from a Clone filtered into his mind. _'So, Mikoto wants Itachi to know the truth… That may be a bit difficult, but I'll give it a shot.'_

 **"I'd like to state for the record that I'm not a fan of helping out these Uchiha in finding some sort of closure,"** Kurama grumbled.

 _'I know, but you can't place the blame of the actions of a few on the shoulders of the remaining.'_

 **"Sometimes, I hate how Mito made you so mature."**

 _'Better than being a naïve fool though, right?'_

 **"Hmph!"**

Naruto chuckled to himself at that, feeling Kurama cut the connection and go silent. His chuckles ceased when he sensed an odd spiritual energy ahead of the group, waiting for them to arrive.

"Heads up," he called out to the others. "We got someone knowing we're coming."

Kakashi nodded and took point, breaking through the trees first and landing on an open plain facing down the alleged traitor of the Hidden Leaf, Itachi Uchiha.

"Kakashi-senpai," the man greeted politely, watching as the rest of the group landed behind the Leaf Jonin. "As well as you students, an Elder from the Sand, and a child. Curious…"

Kakashi narrowed his eye at the Akatsuki member while Sakura struggled to hold her stance with a bead of sweat forming on her brow. Standing before them was the man who killed Sasuke's family; the man Sasuke left the village to find the strength to kill.

"Itachi…Uchiha…" she muttered to herself, feeling nervous in front of the legendary criminal.

"The one who killed his entire clan?" Chiyo questioned in a curious tone. "I never expected to meet such a man with the time I have left."

"Be careful not to look in his eyes," Kakashi warned the group, watching as the man casually raised up an arm and pointed a single finger at his blonde student.

"It's time for you to come with me," Itachi said while raising his arm, expertly using his chakra to cast a genjutsu on the Uzumaki with a single finger, "Naruto."

The man saw Naruto's eyes change for the briefest of moments, feeling his chakra lose its grip on the teen's in an instant.

"…The _nobility_ survived the _weasel's_ bite," Naruto stated, his tone cryptic and his blue eyes serious. (1)

Kakashi and the others looked lost while Itachi's Sharingan eyes widened by a fraction before, in an instant, changing to their Mangekyō form and locking onto Naruto's gaze.

 _'Kurama, don't stop this,'_ Naruto requested of his partner, earning an annoyed grumble from the Bijuu.

"Naruto, look away!" Kakashi tried to warn.

"Tsukuyomi," Itachi declared, dragging Naruto into the strongest genjutsu in ninja history.

* * *

Naruto looked around the space he was trapped in, seeing it colored in an inverted greyscale with a crimson moon illuminating everything. He himself was tied to a cross with Itachi standing before him, looking up at the restrained Uzumaki.

"Nice place," Naruto quipped. "I hope you realize this won't hold for too long, though; especially since it's not as effective using a false body."

"How long have you known?" Itachi questioned calmly.

"I can sense the spiritual energy of others, and yours is, to be blunt, a clusterfuck of yours and whoever it is you're possessing. Effective to people unable to sense energy flow," the blonde complimented. "But that's not what you really want to ask," he grinned cheekily, "is it?"

The Uchiha's eyes narrowed at the smug tone coming from Naruto. "…Is she alive?"

"To be alive can mean many different things, Itachi. But yes, Mikoto Uchiha is alive…in a sense."

"Explain."

"Not sure I want to. After all, you're a psychopathic murderer who wiped out his entire family under the notion of _testing yourself_. What rational person would want to tell you anything?" the Uzumaki asked rhetorically.

Itachi was silent at that.

"Unless of course…the world was meant to believe a lie so intricately spun that the only ones who know the truth are a bunch of old fossils, a dead man, and the one who committed the deed." Naruto's eyes narrowed now, giving an accusing glare at the Uchiha. "As well as whoever helped the criminal in question."

"Mother told you the truth, then," Itachi stated.

"That last bit was something I added on. There's no way you could've singlehandedly killed _all_ the Uchiha without help. Even with your skills and the Mangekyō Sharingan, you would've eventually died or ran out of steam long enough to be captured."

"Quite perceptive," the man praised. "I assume you have an idea who assisted me as well?"

"Yeah… I think it was the same bastard who took my parents from me by releasing the Kyuubi from my mom," Naruto growled out. "Some asshole claiming to be Madara Uchiha who can't even hold a candle to the man capable of treating the Kyuubi like some pet."

Itachi heard a distant growl echo throughout the Tsukuyomi. "The Kyuubi could break you out at any time, can't it?"

"Correct. I wanted the chance to talk to you without the others interfering. Kakashi-sensei told me about this technique and how it fucked up his sense of time. I figured I could tell you what Mikoto wanted while in the place."

"Ingenious," Itachi praised, smirking faintly. "It seems you truly have grown up from the child you used to be; or rather, the child you _played_."

"Should've known my act would've been noticed by some people. You can thank Mito-sama for helping me grow up." He ignored the curiously raised brow from the Uchiha. "Though, it was also her idea to act like a kid so that I can see who could call me out on my mask."

"We all have masks we wear, Naruto; some willingly and others without a choice."

"Too true… You speak of yourself too, forcing yourself to be a villain in the eyes of the world because of the plans made by your family. For what it's worth, I'm sorry that the Hokage and his fellow cronies ordered you to do that. There was no need to kill everyone."

Itachi nodded in both thanks and agreement. "You said my mother was alive in a sense. What did you mean?"

"She's dead, but her spirit lingered on; fueled by her regrets and sadness. She's what is known as a Hollow, a spirit changed by those negative feelings and left with a literal hole on their body that they seek to fill. Hence their name."

"Fitting, if not cruel. Who else can see these spiritual beings?"

"As far as I'm aware, Mito-sama, Mikoto, myself, Tsunade after I shared my spiritual energy with her, and Nel-chan."

"I assume this Nel is the child you were carrying?"

A nod from the blonde Uzumaki.

"There's more to her, isn't there?"

"That's none of your concern," Naruto warned dangerously, his eyes gaining a ring of white fire for a moment before fading. "I've told you what Mikoto asked of me. What you do with this information is your business. Until next time, Weasel."

With that final word, Naruto's eyes turned crimson red with black slits before the Tsukuyomi shattered. Itachi was forced to close his eyes due to the strain, unable to avoid being run through by the fabled Kubikiribōchō and pinned to the ground. As he felt his connection to this false body fade, Itachi couldn't help smirking at how intuitive Naruto was in passing the information.

 _'Well played, Naruto-kun…'_

* * *

"I thought something felt off about him," Naruto growled out, playing the part of an angry Jinchūriki. _'Thanks, Kurama.'_

 **"Hmph… I still don't like doing this for the Uchiha."**

 _'I know…'_

"Are you alright?" Sakura asked in concern.

"Fine," Naruto answered curtly, still playing the part. "Bastard tried to break me, but thankfully Kyuubi isn't the biggest fan of the Uchiha. It broke me out just to spite Itachi."

Kakashi nodded in understanding. "So, the question remains: who was Itachi possessing?"

"His name is Yūra," Chiyo answered with a somber look. "He was a member of the Advisory Council; but all this time, he was a pawn of the Akatsuki. Right under our noses."

"You can never be too prepared for the Akatsuki," the Jonin consoled. "For all we know, Itachi or someone else on the Akatsuki may have been controlling him by some powerful and undetectable method."

"We can think about that later," Naruto urged. "We still need to rescue Gaara."

"Yeah! Sandy's in trouble!" Nel agreed.

The others nodded and resumed following the trail.

* * *

 _"My false body was bested by the Jinchūriki,"_ Itachi informed the other members of the Akatsuki.

Of all the members present, only two were physically there while the remaining members were using a form of projection. Sasori and Deidara were both there, helping the other members remove the Ichibi from Gaara.

 _"Ha! Guess the shitty Uchiha ain't as tough as he thinks he is!"_ Hidan taunted while Deidara smirked at Itachi's failure.

"At least he doesn't need to constantly be stitched up after every assignment," Sasori calmly rebutted. Itachi was alright in his eyes, the two having worked together on a few assignments.

 _'Oi! Shut the fuck up, ya sack of termite chow!"_ Hidan comically roared with a large tic mark on his head.

 _"Enough,"_ calmly cut in the leader of the group, Pein. _"Itachi, how was your double defeated?"_

 _"I tried to use_ _Tsukuyomi_ _on him, but the Kyuubi broke it after a moment. I was vulnerable to counterattack after that. I assume the Kyuubi only helped to spite me, considering how Madara has used his Sharingan on it a few times in the past,"_ the Uchiha surmised.

 _"It makes sense,"_ Konan, the second-in-command, agreed. _"No doubt it's held onto a deep grudge over the fact."_

 _"Regardless of the possibility,"_ Pein cut in again, _"this only means that our timetable has dropped considerably."_

 _"My double is dealing with a second team of Leaf shinobi,"_ Kisame informed the group. _"It was the taijutsu specialist I faced back in the village a few years back and his students."_

 _"Backup already?"_ Kakuzu mused. _"This may be a cause for concern."_

 _"Do what you can to hold them off, Kisame,"_ Pein ordered. _"We need to focus on the Ichibi before it's too late."_

 _"Got it, Boss,"_ the shark-like man stated with a fanged grin. _"This may be fun!"_

* * *

Naruto and the others arrived at a large boulder blocking the entrance to a cave, a sealing tag slapped on it. The Uzumaki narrowed his eyes before leaping onto the boulder to get a closer look.

"What do you think, Naruto?" Kakashi called up to him.

"It's a Five-Seal Barrier," the blonde answered. "This seal is linked to four other tags that need to be removed simultaneously for it to be broken."

Forming his signature cross seal, four copies of Naruto appeared before they took off in blurs of motion. He kept his eyes closed while pinching a corner of the seal tag. After a few moments, his eyes shot open and he ripped off the tag; just in time for Might Guy and his team to arrive.

"You're late, Guy," Kakashi admonished casually.

"My apologies, my Eternal Rival!" the man proclaimed. "We were held up by a member of the Akatsuki who was possessing a body."

"Sounds like what we went through not too long ago," Kakashi mused, absently watching Sakura reduce the boulder to rubble.

Once there was room, the two teams rushed in and landed inside the cave just in time to see Gaara's body drop to the ground; cracks seen around his body. Many eyes went wide at the sight while Naruto's eyes changed to the Shigan and he saw Gaara's soul slowly rise out of his body.

Growling furiously, he formed his signature handseal once more and produced dozens of Shadow Clones that stood in front of the rescue team. Without a word, the Clones charged at the two Akatsuki members, all of them roaring out a battlecry as they rushed into a fight.

"Shit!" Deidara cursed, quickly leaping back with his hands jabbing into his clay pouches as Sasori started popping Clones with senbon needles fired with deadly accuracy.

Pulling out two handfuls, he had the mouths on his hands shape them into a pair of crude birds before he tossed them out. In bursts of smoke, the clay figures enlarged to the size of produce carts with one of them grabbing Gaara's body in its talon while he jumped onto the other.

"Catch me if you can, Kyuubi brat, un!" the man taunted, grinning smugly at the Uzumaki with the green-haired brat on his shoulder.

His visible eye stared into the blues of Naruto's eyes, watching as rings of white fire formed around his pupils before the Uzumaki and kid were gone in a blink. Deidara's eye widened before he heard the sound of something heavy cleaving through his clay. He turned his head to see Naruto carving through the clay bird holding Gaara with the Kubikiribōchō, cutting off the head of his artful creation with a single cleave.

"Chōkasoku!" he heard a childish voice cry out, turning just in time to take a high-speed headbutt to his gut.

"GAH!" Deidara gasped out, the wind and some spittle getting forcibly knocked out of him before he fell off his clay bird.

Meanwhile, Naruto blurred into view beside a still airborne Nel and caught her under his arm while his other held Gaara's body over his shoulder. "Great work, Nel-chan!"

She giggled with a proud smile. "Nel got him good!"

Growling as he landed on his feet, Deidara glared furiously at the Jinchūriki and his little brat. "You'll pay for that, un!" he declared before he heard the sounds of crackling electricity.

"Lightning Blade!" Kakashi yelled out, jabbing out his lightning covered hand in a spearing motion that carved off Deidara's right arm as the man tried to avoid the deadly attack.

"SON OF A BITCH!" he howled in agony, leaping away and watching his severed arm flop onto the ground with a wet plop.

"Deidara, pull back!" Sasori, now using his true body after Guy and Lee smashed his Hiruko puppet, ordered as he pulled out a single scroll and unsealed a massive army of one hundred puppets. "Red Secret Technique: Performance of a Hundred Puppets!"

"Back away!" Chiyo ordered the others as she leapt back with them to avoid a wave of armed puppets that wove around where the once stood. They way they moved reminded the group of how a large serpent would move around to strike its prey. Pulling out her own scroll, the Sand Elder unsealed her own group of puppets with a declaration of, "White Secret Technique: The Chikamatsu Collection of Ten Puppets!"

Like watching an onstage performance of battle and death, the Leaf shinobi observed two masters of the fabled Puppetry Jutsu go at it with intricate movements and brutal efficiency. However, it slowly became clear that Chiyo's puppets were of better quality as they started destroying more and more of Sasori's puppets.

It was proof of the ideal of _Quality over Quantity_.

Meanwhile, Naruto and Kakashi were working together to corner Deidara, trusting the others to handle Sasori. "Rasengan!" Naruto roared, leaping up into the air and descending with the deadly ball of chakra aimed at the Akatsuki below.

Using his remaining hand, Deidara gathered some explosive clay and tossed it at the jutsu before detonating it. The explosion intercepted the infamous jutsu of the Fourth Hokage, but the Missing Ninja couldn't relax as Kakashi unleashed a wolf made of lightning that chased after him. With impressive agility, Deidara was able to just barely keep his distance from the Lightning Beast Tracking Fang.

As Deidara was kept on his toes against Kakashi and – unknown to them – a Shadow Clone of Naruto, the real Uzumaki was knelt beside the body of his friend with Nel standing next to him with a sad look on her face. Gaara's soul, still tethered to his body via chain, regarded them curiously.

 _"You can see me, can't you Naruto?"_ he asked.

"Yeah," Naruto answered. "I'll get you back into your body; I promise. Just wait a little longer while we deal with the Akatsuki." He got a nod from his friend's soul before turning to Nel, placing a hand on her masked head. "Nel-chan, I need you trust me on something."

Nel looked confused and concern was seen in her hazel eyes before she nodded firmly. "Nel trusts Ruto," she stated sincerely.

Naruto smiled softly at her as he began to channel his reiatsu into the hand placed on her head. He saw her eyes start glazing over while the eyeholes of her mask began gathering pink colored energy. With a pulse and a flash, Nel's form became engulfed in pink smoke that slowly cleared and revealed Neliel in all her glory.

"Neliel-san," the blonde greeted respectfully.

"Naruto-san," she greeted in return, observing the two battles going on. "I assume you'd like me to assist both parties?"

"Just make an opening for them to end it, please. The longer this takes, the less time I have to get Gaara's soul back into his body."

She nodded in understanding, raising a palm to face the army of red-clothed puppets. Pink reiatsu formed into a sphere in her hand as she calmly took aim.

"Cero," she softly proclaimed, firing a burst of spiritual energy that tore through dozens of puppets, making an opening long enough for Chiyo to use the Mother and Father puppets Sasori once had to stab into the talisman that held his only organically living part of his original body; the heart. She then aimed at Deidara and fired a second Cero at where he was moving to avoid the Naruto Clone, making him stumble and take a Rasengan to the chest.

Naruto saw that both Akatsuki members were defeated and gave Neliel a grateful look. "Thank you, Neliel-san."

"Of course," she replied with a gentle smile. "It's only natural to help one's companions."

"How long do you think you'll stick around this time?"

"I'm unsure, for I've never used Cero the other times you brought out my true self."

"I see… Does your energy feel any more stable?"

She closed her eyes and looked inward for a moment before smiling softly. "Yes, it feels more stable than before. It shouldn't be much longer until I can assume my true form permanently once more."

He smiled in return, but she noticed that it was a bittersweet one. "I'm glad to hear that…"

She wanted to ask him what was wrong but had to stop when the others came over to them with the two dead Akatsuki sealed away in separate scrolls.

Kakashi was the first to speak, "Nel…?"

"I'll explain later, sensei," Naruto cut off before looking to Gaara's soul. "I want to try something if you're willing…?"

The others, save Neliel, looked confused at what he was doing while Gaara nodded. _"If you think it will help, then give it a try."_

Nodding back, Naruto focused on Binding Threads and had the threading split apart from its scarf form, attaching to Gaara's chain on his body while the other end wrapped around Gaara's soul and the chain links. With his eyes closed to help him concentrate, he started to pull the soul towards his body.

To the others, it looked like Naruto's scarf was wrapping itself around nothing but air; however, Neliel saw that the length of Gaara's spiritual chain was slowly shortening one link at a time. She smiled proudly, pleased to see how far her friend had come in his control over his spiritual power. He struggled here and there, but it was still working.

Moving behind him, she crouched down and placed a hand on his back, sending her own reiatsu into him to assimilate into his spiritual power. "Nearly there, Naruto-san," she urged him softly, helping him with the final links of the chain before Gaara's soul melded back into his body.

Once the soul and body were back together, Naruto stopped flowing his reiatsu and stumbled back in exhaustion, being caught by Neliel who looked down at him with a proud smile. He gave a tired one back before he relaxed and allowed his body to pass out.

"You did marvelously," was the last thing he heard from Neliel, and the last thing he saw was Gaara's eyes slowly opening once more.

Mission Successful.

* * *

 **1~ According to the Naruto Wiki: Mikoto (** **尊** **) means "precious" and "nobility" and is used as a title for Japanese gods. So, Naruto's cryptic message to Itachi (Weasel) was his way of saying that Mikoto survived the night of the Uchiha Massacre.**

 **Finally done! Dear God, why am I so bad at typing? I just get so lazy and don't touch my laptop for weeks!**

 **I need to work on that… Hopefully next year will give me a real boot to the ass so I can get back in the swing of things…**

 **Anyway, I hope you all liked the update for this story! Also, in case you were unaware, I have a poll up on my profile that ends on Christmas Day; which is only THREE DAYS AWAY!**

 **Please vote! Please review this chapter! And PLEASE have a wonderful holiday!**

 **Merry Christmas to All, and to All a life of joy, love, and peace!**

 **Until next time!**

 _ **~pain17ification~**_


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